The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have joined Sir David Attenborough for the naming ceremony of the polar research ship the public voted to call Boaty McBoatface.
That name was vetoed and the ship was today officially named the RRS Sir David Attenborough in a ceremony at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, Merseyside.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Birkenhead-In Pictures
After Sir David and William opened the ceremony, Kate, as sponsor, formally named the ship by smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull.
The royal couple also heard from the ship's captains and crew members about its ice-breaking capabilities and navigation systems before attending the official ceremony.
The vessel, owned by the Natural Environment Research Council and operated by the BAS, will enable world-leading research to be carried out in Antarctica and the Arctic over the next 25 to 30 years.
More than 124,000 people voted to name it Boaty McBoatface in a public poll, but that name was vetoed and it was instead named after the broadcaster.
But Boaty lives on, in the form of a miniature, unmanned, yellow submarine which will be on board the boat.
