THE QUEEN’S ROWBARGE, newly regilded and back at St Katharine Dock, London looks absolutely splendid.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 was the catalyst for this boat, an idea to connect rowing and Royal celebrations. It turned out fairly similar to the original drawings. It has now been disassembled, repainted and regilded at Foxes Boatyard, and as of autumn, 2024 is back at St Katharine Dockyard.

It was designed to be large enough to have a visual impact on the Thames, and it certainly does that at the dock where it is moored.

Gloriana paid her final respects, clad in black and with oars tossed in salute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Runnymede as she made her final journey to Windsor Castle.

State barges were used in the 17th and 18th century, and have a history steeped in Viking boat building. The team than build this boat consisted of naval architects Stuart Roy and Ed Burnett, project manager Damian Byrne, and master boatbuilder Mark Edwards, one of the country’s foremost builders of traditional wooden boats.

The film goes on to show other Thames-side features from Ian McKellen’s Pub to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, past St Pauls to the Houses of Parliament. It then adds in some famous watering holes, like Nel Gwynne’s Pub to Lillie Langtry’s restaurant Rules.