Portrait of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in lounge of RMS CARONIA, February 1951
Photographer
Henry Gawthorpe
Date1951
Object number00018047
NamePhotograph
MediumSilver gelatin print on paper
DimensionsOverall: 165 mm
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Henry Gawthorpe
DescriptionThis photograph depicts a painting of Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and the Duke of Edinburgh in the passenger lounge area on board RMS CARONIA during its February 1951 visit to Sydney. A crew member is depicted cleaning the plaque below it. This photograph offers a glimpse into the ship's lavish interior which was considered to be one of the most modern and luxurious ever built at the time.HistoryRMS CARONIA was built by John Brown and Company in Clydebank, Scotland in 1947 for Cunard White Star Line. The passenger ship was launched on 30 October 1947 and christened by Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth. Nicknamed the ‘Green Goddess’, it was painted four shades of green and was one of the largest vessels to be built after World War II. The vessel is often credited as being the first ‘dual-purpose’ ship to be built, that is, it was suited to both cruising and transatlantic crossings. It was also equipped with amenities not seen in cruise ships before, including a swimming pool and private bathrooms.
CARONIA undertook its maiden voyage on 4 January 1949 from Southampton, England to New York, United States of America. In January 1951, CARONIA made its first world cruise. Over the 1950s, CARONIA underwent various refits including installing air-conditioning in 1956, in order to compete with other European cruise ships. As demand in the cruise ship market declined and operating costs increased, Cunard decided to withdraw the vessel from service in 1967.
CARONIA was sold the following year to Star Shipping, Panama and renamed SS COLUMBIA and then SS CARIBIA. It was, however, plagued by disaster on its first and second voyages. En route to the Caribbean the waste system malfunctioned and on its second voyage an explosion in the engine room killed one crew member and severely injured another. This signalled the end of the ship’s career as a cruise liner. In 1974, CARIBIA was sold for scrap, however, as it was towed to the ship breakers in Taiwan it encountered severe weather conditions and was wrecked near Guam.SignificanceThis photograph documents one of the largest and most luxurious cruise ships to be built after World War II. It depicts the vessel during its first world cruise in 1951.
