When Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, named a new lifeboat at Ramsgate on Friday 16 July, it was an historic occasion in more ways than one. This was the first time that a lifeboat was named in honour of a reigning monarch by the sovereign in person. The name was chosen to mark the 40th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne, and it was only the third lifeboat to be named by the Queen, patron of the RNLI.

The Mersey class lifeboat was substantially funded from an appeal to police forces throughout the country and was crewed on the day by police officers who are also lifeboatmen.

The weather was in tune with the occasion as the sun shone and a crisp breeze fluttered the Royal Standard and RNLI ensigns. The Queen and the Duke arrived to the cheers of over 600 schoolchildren from local schools, waving union flags.

A posy was presented to the Queen by policewoman Constable Evelyn Cardy of the RUC, the widow of John Cardy who died in a road accident last year. He had helped to raise thousands of pounds towards the lifeboat.

Lt Cdr Brian Miles, Director of the RNLI, welcomed everyone present before Dr Ian Oliver, Chief Constable of Grampian Police and Chairman of the Police Lifeboat Appeal Committee, presented a commemorative parchment to the Queen and then handed over the lifeboat to Mr Michael Vernon, Chairman of the RNLI. Mr Vernon paid tribute to the 'wonderful efforts' of the police in providing the new lifeboat.A service of dedication followed, led by the Venerable Michael Till, Archdeacon of Canterbury. Commander Miles then invited the Queen to name the lifeboat: 'I name this lifeboat Her Majesty The Queen. May God bless her and all who sail in her.' The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh spent a long time inspecting the lifeboat and meeting the crew, and then meeting members of the Ramsgate lifeboat crew and their families.

Afterwards they went on a walkabout, meeting the schoolchildren and hundreds of other well-wishers who had waited patiently. The visit concluded for the Royal couple with lunch at the Royal Temple Yacht Club among VIP guests representing the Police and the RNLI. HDRelief Fleet - D classes Anthony and Jeanne Frances On Friday 23 July 1993, the first of the two Open Days at the RNLI Headquarters and Depot, two new D class lifeboats destined for the relief fleet were handed over and named.

Commander Brian Miles, Director, opened proceedings and welcomed all present which included not only the special guests attending the joint ceremony but also the many hundreds of visitors on site at the time.

Anthony Oliver, deputy head of Fundraising and Marketing, handed over D450 on behalf of Mr and Mrs Rush, who had donated the funds for the new lifeboat in memory of their son, and later in the proceedings Mrs Rush named the lifeboat Anthony.

The second lifeboat, D451, was the first of two to be funded from the bequest of Miss Jeanne Frances Gibson. It was handed over by Mrs Christine Ridgwell, representing the executors and named Jeanne Frances by Mrs Frances Harper, a friend and neighbour of the late Miss Gibson.

Both lifeboats were accepted by the Director and described by Richard Perks, staff officer. The lifeboats were dedicated by the Reverend Stanley Holbrooke Jones, Rector of Poole.BarrOW - D class Modeller II Glorious sunny weather greeted guests arriving at Barrow for the handing over ceremony and service of dedication for the station's new D class inflatable lifeboat Modeller II on Sunday 6 June 1993.

Chairman of Barrow station branch, Captain J.W. Green, welcomed everyone present, particularly Des Newton and other representatives of the Modeller II Lifeboat Appeal who had worked so hard to raise funds to provide the boat.

This is the second D class lifeboat stationed at Barrow for which modellers from across the country have raised funds.

Mr Guy Flatten, deputy divisional inspector, described the lifeboat, her capabilities and role in the RNLI fleet before Des Newton, the promoter of the appeal handed the new lifeboat over to Captain A. McCourt, the honorary secretary of Barrow lifeboat station, who accepted it into the safekeeping of the station.

The service of dedication which followed was conducted by the Reverend Leslie Fraser, assisted by Canon Cookson.

At the conclusion of the service Modeller II was launched and gave a demonstration of its capabilities to all those present. SHThursday 17 June 1993 dawned bright and breezy for the long-awaited naming ceremony at the RNLFs Poole depot of a lifeboat funded by an appeal launched back in 1979.

William Trussler, formally handed over the new lifeboat to the RNLI in his capacity as vice chairman of the Mountbatten of Burma Lifeboat Appeal Committee, speaking of the original concept of the appeal, which began with the simple idea of naming a lifeboat after a very famous sailor to mark his 80th birthday.

The appeal was launched originally to fund the first Medina, a 40ft rigid inflatable lifeboat, but just a fortnight after the launch of the appeal Earl Mountbatten was murdered.

The appeal attracted wide support but after years of exhaustive trials the Medina did not meet the RNLI's rigorous standards and it was agreed that the money should be used for a new lifeboat design linked with the Mountbatten name. The first of the new Trent class provided that opportunity.

Mr Michael Vernon, Chairman of the RNLI, accepted the new lifeboat for use in the relief fleet, initially as temporary station lifeboat at Alderney.

The service of dedication was conducted by the Rev. Canon Neil Crawford- Jones, Vicar of Romsey, assisted by theRev. Stanley Holbrooke-Jones, Rector of Poole, the Rev. John Wren, Methodist Minister, Poole and Father Peter Webb, Parish Priest, St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Poole.

Brian Miles, RNLI Director, who presided over the occasion and who had earlier welcomed all those present, then invited the Countess Mountbatten of Burma to name the new lifeboat.

In naming the new lifeboat Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Countess Mountbatten said she could think of no better place than Poole for the ceremony.

It was here that the design was conceived and it was RNLI naval architects and technicians who carried the 25 knot design to reality. This new lifeboat/ she said, 'is a reflection of the modern and dynamic nature of the Institution'.

Before naming the lifeboat Countess Mountbatten received a painting of the new lifeboat from Mr Christopher Southcombe, honorary treasurer of the Rame Peninsula branch, and during the ceremony Mr Brian Williams, chairman of the Rame Peninsula branch presented the music of The Lifeboatmen March' to Mr Vernon and it was subsequently played by the Band of HM Royal Marines, Commandos which also provided music during the ceremony. AOCromer - D class chioe Cromer's D class lifeboat Chios was dedicated at a ceremony at the lifeboat house on Sunday 11 July 1993.

The lifeboat has been provided by a generous gift from Miss Iris Buckle of Cockfosters, Hertfordshire and is named in memory of her mother Chloe Long who was born at Hemsby, Norfolk in 1889.

Proceedings were opened by Major Anthony de G. Webster, chairman of Cromer station branch and after Anthony Oliver, deputy head of fundraising and marketing had handed over the lifeboat into the care of John Leeds, the station's deputy launching authority a service of dedication was conducted by the Reverend David Hayden, vicar of Cromer.FleetwOOu - Mersey class Fisherman's A new Mersey class lifeboat for the relief fleet was named and dedicated at Fleetwood on 15 June 1993.

A promotion by Lofthouses of Fleetwood, from sales of their Fisherman's Friend lozenges, provided substantial funds for this lifeboat together with the proceeds of the Royal Bank of Scotland's affinity card and other gifts and legacies.

The naming ceremony took place atthe marina in Fleetwood, not so long ago the scene of the naming ceremony of the station's own Tyne class lifeboat.

An enthusiastic crowd gathered on a cool overcast day to enjoy music with a nautical theme provided by British Nuclear Fuels Band before the proceedings were formally opened by Frank Hardman, chairman of Fleetwood station branch.

The deputy director of the RNLI, Ray Kipling, described the boat and said that she had already served on relief at go to Llandudno.

Mr Tony Lofthouse, chairman of Lofthouses, briefly referred to his interest in the sea and the RNLI before formally handing the boat to Anthony Hannay, a member of the Institution's committee of management, for use in the relief fleet.

The station chaplain of Fleetwood, the Reverend John Cayton, led the service of dedication assisted by Father Brian McMahon of St Mary's Roman Catholic church in Fleetwood, the Reverend Les Fraser, former RNLI deputy regional organiser for the north west and the Reverend Ian Sumner of Fleetwood Methodist church.

At the conclusion of the service Ray Kipling invited a delighted Mrs Lofthouse to step forward and name the lifeboa t Fisherma n 's Friend.

At the end of the ceremony the of ficial party boarded the lifeboat for a short trip . JT.