
The Princess of Wales has officially named the Royal Navy’s newest warship HMS Glasgow in a ceremony on the River Clyde.
It is the first of eight Type 26 frigates to be built by BAE Systems at its Glasgow shipbuilding facilities in Govan and Scotstoun.
Catherine, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, smashed a bottle of whisky against the hull in the traditional naming ceremony.
HMS Glasgow was laid down at BAE’s Govan yard in 2017 and launched at the end of 2022, when she was floated off a special barge into the Clyde.
Blessing the ship as its official sponsor, Catherine said: “I name this ship Glasgow. May God bless her and all who serve in her.”
The event included a flypast from an RAF Poseidon aircraft from HMS Glasgow’s affiliated CXX Squadron.


It is the second time in a month that the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as Prince William and Princess Catherine are known in Scotland, have been north of the border.
They celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on the Isle of Mull in April.
BAE Systems managing director Simon Lister said the ceremony was a “historic moment for the Type 26 programme, the city of Glasgow and the thousands of people involved”.
He added: “The naming of HMS Glasgow is a significant step towards this cutting-edge vessel joining the Royal Navy fleet and demonstrates our solid progress in delivering these powerful new ships.”
While some aspects of a traditional naming ceremony were upheld, BAE Systems abandoned traditional “dynamic” slipway launches on the Clyde 14 years ago.
The military firm now favours the “float off” method, which is more controlled and allows a vessel to be launched in a more complete state.

The 150m (492ft)-long ship, which will have a crew of 161, is the ninth Royal Navy warship to be named after Glasgow.
The Royal Navy’s Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral, Sir Martin Connell, said the ship was “a pure-bred Anti-Submarine Warfare platform, setting the standard for naval warfare”.
All eight of the Type 26 vessels are named after a UK’s city – Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London.
HMS Cardiff launched in August 2024 and work has started on the next ships, HMS Belfast, HMS Birmingham and HMS Sheffield.
The frigates are expected to enter service between 2028 and the mid-2030s.
Their role will include protecting the aircraft carriers and Trident submarines.