MV Royal Iris (IMO 5301332), arguably Liverpool’s most famous and best loved River Mersey ferry. She was a diesel electric vessel with a passenger capacity of close to 2,300 people, launched in December 1950.
In June 1977, the Royal Iris carried Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on their Silver Jubilee Mersey Review. She was also used by Granada Television as the setting for the ITV Saturday morning children’s television series, ‘The Mersey Pirate’ in the summer of 1980.
In January 1991, Royal Iris did a farewell cruise, before being taken out of service. She was laid up, awaiting a decision of her fate. However on the 21st of April 1991, she was granted a one-day licence from the Department of Transport for a cruise to mark the 73rd Anniversary of the 1918 Zeebrugge Raid. This would sadly become her final voyage in passenger service.
Attempts were made to turn the Royal Iris into a floating night club, this sadly did not happen. Finally in 2002, she was towed to the River Thames and moored near the Thames Barrier where she remains today. A second attempt was made to refit her as a floating nightclub, sadly these plans did not come to fruition either.
She has remained moored ever since. In February 2010 it was reported by a passing vessel that the Royal Iris had taken on water up to her passenger deck. She has sadly flooded many times since. As can be seen here, she is deteriorating rapidly.
Many more photographs of the Royal Iris have been taken since I photographed her. Showing the sad demise of this historic Liverpool vessel.
The sad sight of Liverpool’s Royal Iris (IMO 5301332), derelict and deteriorating on the River Thames.
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