Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Belfast
The Spirit of Chartwell has been sold to a buyer in Portugal, where it will be used as a cruise boat for tourists. The barge's owner Philip Morrell admitted to selling the boat at a loss, after it had a million-pound makeover for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
He said: "I am sad she has gone but we faced difficulties which made it unviable to use her on the River Thames. Without revealing figures the boat has been sold for half what I paid for her".
Mr Morrell had hoped to keep the boat on the Thames, to offer luxury cruises, but had had to sell it to a buyer in Portugal, after he had been unable to reach an agreement regarding the safety of the boat going under a bridge.
He said: "The Spirit of Chartwell is a superb boat. The interior is just sumptuous. It is a wonderful boat. But there are no other rivers in this country for which it is suitable."
Emily Bancroft
Tagged in Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth II Royal Family