The Prince of Wales paid homage to Belfast’s long history of shipbuilding when he visited the Harland and Wolff shipyard today as part of a two-day tour of Northern Ireland.
Founded in 1861 by Sir Edward James Harland and Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, the company has worked on some of the world’s most famous ships including the RMS Titanic and its two sister ships, the Olympic and Britannic. Harland and Wolff also built HMS Belfast as well as the tanker Myrina, the first supertanker built in the United Kingdom.
The visit mirrored Prince Philip’s 1977 trip to the site, and Prince Charles was able to meet with an employee who was present during his late father’s visit. He also met a fourth-generation employee whose family took part in the 1977 engagement at Harland and Wolff.
Embed from Getty ImagesDonning a hard hat and high-vis vest, the Prince of Wales toured the facility, which features two of the largest drydocks in Europe. The site also includes two massive “Goliath’ type gantry cranes named Samson and Goliath, measuring 96 and 106 metres tall.
He then stopped by the company’s fabrication workshop to view a welding demonstration and met with staff to learn about how the shipyard has changed and adapted to modern times over the centuries.
Despite the Titanic sinking on its maiden voyage, Harland and Wolff remained a leader in commercial shipbuilding over the years but later pivoted to focus on ship repair and renewable energy. Financial troubles caused the company to be placed into administration in 2019 but they were later saved from bankruptcy by UK energy company InfraStrata.
Embed from Getty ImagesCharles ended his trip to Harland and Wolff by unveiling a plaque to celebrate the company’s 160th anniversary.
Earlier in the day, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited Belfast City Hall and Charles made a speech at the Education Authority Headquarters, during which he praised “the tireless work being carried out by youth workers on all sides of the community.”
