Royals, Rivals and Seven Nations That Ruled the Sea
Fates & Fortunes
They were four of the best kept and maintained ships on the seas – the United States, America, Independence and Constitution. But strangely, they had sad endings. The America aground and broken in two in the Canary Islands; the Independence aground as well and broken in two just before meeting the scrappers out in India; the Constitution sunk off Hawaii; and the United States is cut down and about to be sunk as a reef off northwest Florida.
The United States (left) with America, Independence and Constitution laid up in Manhattan during a strike. From the William H. Miller Collection.
SS America aground in the Canary Islands after breaking in two. From the William H. Miller Collection.
The Independence aground and broken in two before heading to the scrappers in India. From the William H. Miller Collection.
Old Friends
Luis Miguel Correia is one of the world’s finest maritime historians, authors, photographers. His books are superb. Recently, he sent this photo from ten years ago – at his hometown of Lisbon. Yes, memory lane. Luis and I have been friends for some 45 years!
Royal Visit
In a recent posting, we mentioned Queen Frederica of Greece and her royal cruises in the Mediterranean. Another link: The Queen and her daughter Princess Sofia (later the Queen of Spain) are shown arriving in New York onboard the United States in the fall of 1958.
The Greek royals had traveled to Paris and then joined the American flagship at Le Havre. Former chief purser David Fitzgerald once told me: “The Queen received the finest treatment. She and her family occupied Main Deck suites. But she was quite demanding: She insisted that one of the ship’s hairdressers visit her three times a day! Our New York public relations office organized a very formal reception upon arrival at Pier 86.”
And why was the Greek queen visiting the USA in the first place you might ask. The New York Times reported: “On Nov. 15 [1958], The Queen of Greece gave her blessing today to the largest commercial cargo ship ever built in the United States. Queen Frederica gave a giant tanker her daughter’s name: Princess Sophia. A second before the 70,700-ton tanker started down the ways at the Bethlehem Steel Company yards [at Quincy, Massachusetts], the Queen swung a bottle of champagne against the towering gray bow and said, “I christen this ship Princess Sophia. May God bless her and all who sail with her.” Princess Sophia and Crown Prince Constantine, two of the Queen’s three children, stood beside their mother as she sponsored the vessel. The huge ship was built for Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos.
The Princess Sophia, designed by Bethlehem’s technical department here in Quincy, was being built for the World Brilliance Corporation, one of the Niarchos companies, operator of one of the largest independent shipping fleets in the world. Mr. Niarchos was present on the launching stand. His latest ship, with a carrying capacity of 27,000,000 gallons and at a speed of about 17 knots, will be able to carry a full load from the Persian Gulf to California at a cost of roughly 1 cent a gallon.
Queen Frederica had, of course, named Home Lines’ Atlantic (ex-Malolo, ex-Matsonia) as the RHMS Queen Frederica in 1954. It was a sole ship belonging to the National Hellenic American Line and used in Mediterranean-New York service.
Royal Travel
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor made countless Atlantic crossings, many of them (1952-69) onboard the United States. Four times a year, in fact, between Le Havre and New York – and with as much as 98 pieces of baggage. After the Duke died in 1972, the Duchess quickly became frail and bereft. She did, however, make one final roundtrip – but from Cannes and onboard the Michelangelo. Below is one of her final portraits (in Paris) before the Duchess drifted into dementia for the next ten years. She died in 1986.
The Duchess of Windsor in Paris, photographed shortly before her final voyage aboard the Michelangelo. From the William H. Miller Collection.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor relaxing with their pugs during the years they made frequent Atlantic crossings aboard the United States. From the William H. Miller Collection.
The Michelangelo at sea, the Italian Line flagship that later carried the Duchess of Windsor on her final voyage. From the William H. Miller Collection.
The Windsors sailed, among others, onboard the Conte di Savoia, Excalibur, Argentina, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, and the aforementioned United States.
Rendezvous At Sea
The luxury liners of the Italian Line were the big competitors, the main rivals, to the “very American” Independence and Constitution. In the 1950s and early ‘60s, their ships included the likes of the sisters Andrea Doria and Cristoforo Colombo as well as the newer, larger Leonardo da Vinci.
“My parents occasionally went on the Italian Line,” remembered the late Richard Faber. “But they actually found the safety drills lax compared to the American ships. The Italians also had these great occasions in mid-Atlantic of two liners, meeting briefly and each going in the opposite direction. The ships would pass one another at a combined 45 knots. But my parents felt these encounters were too close, almost on a collision course. They said you could actually see the faces of passengers and crew on the other ship. It was all split-second, of course. A big rush – a sort of blur! Whistles sounded and everyone cheered. It was like madness in mid-afternoon – and especially after a few lunchtime drinks. Those meetings of two liners were the biggest events on Italian Line crossings in those years.”
Speaking of German Ocean Liners
The Fall 2025 issue of Power Ships magazine had, I felt, an especially imposing cover image of the Hamburg America liner Albert Ballin. A long-ago voyage on that ship was a feature story. In the poster, the artist has typically made the ship look bigger, higher, perhaps stronger and therefore safer to perspective passengers. The tug is made smaller and even the twin funnels and four masts higher. And the outer decks are crowded with happy passengers, off on an ocean journey. Behind, a fleetmate, the Reliance, is seen.
And just in case, you want to know. Built at Hamburg, the 1,551-passenger Albert Ballin was named for the genius director of the great Hamburg America Line, but who committed suicide after the German defeat in World War I. The ship, completed in 1924, was a revival for the depleted Hamburg-America fleet and ran crossings between Hamburg, Southampton, Cherbourg, and New York. Extensively rebuilt (in 1930) and even lengthened (1934), it was renamed Hansa in 1935 (Ballin was Jewish and the new Nazi regime already controlled the German shipping industry). Used as a training ship for the German Navy in World War II, it was mined (off Warnemunde) in March 1945, just weeks before the collapse of the Nazis.
Two Hamburg-America Line posters advertising fast Atlantic service to New York aboard Albert Ballin, Deutschland, Hamburg and New York. From the William H. Miller Collection.
Salvaged by the Soviet Government in 1949, the 677-ft long ship had a long rebuilding and restoration. Renamed Sovetsky Sojus (Soviet Union), it was the largest passenger ship under Soviet colors beginning in 1955. Typically, it was veiled in the mysteries of the USSR. Mostly, it operated in a remote, all but secret service – out of Vladivostock in the Siberian Far East. Finally renamed Soyuz in 1980, it was broken-up a year later, then being 58 years old.
Remembering the French Line
Our recent posting about the legendary France prompted Dan Welsh to remember: “One night I saw my folks off in NY. They were aboard the France. And as she was backing away with tugs, I remember wondering why I had not brought a camera. Once she was turned and heading south, her sheer size straddled both piers … and for a brief moment … all you could see was a chunk of glowing ship.”
The France at night in New York, with the Michelangelo departing astern in a scene of glowing piers and towering superstructures. From the William H. Miller Collection. 
The France preparing for a midnight departure from Southampton. From the William H. Miller Collection.
Maritime Competition
In the winter of 1935-36, the giant, six-month-old Normandie was given an extensive refit that included the addition of an otherwise unnecessary aft deck extension. It pushed the French flagship’s overall tonnage by 2,000 added tons to over 83,000 and therefore surpassing the upcoming British Queen Mary, which was due in service six months later. The French were pleased: The Normandie (seen below at Le Havre with the Colombie, Paris and Ile de France in the background) would reign as the world’s largest (as well as longest) liner.
And Speaking of the Great Normandie
In March 1937, 5 liners were together at Piers 86, 88 and 90 to celebrate (and encourage) travel to Europe. The Normandie was the first to depart and as hundreds of balloons were released adding to the sailing festivity. On the right are the Berengaria, Georgic, Rex and Europa.
90 Years Ago
In June 1935, over 300 ships gathered to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Britain’s King George V, the grandfather of the late Queen Elizabeth II and great grandfather of King Charles III. In the view below, Cunard’s Berengaria passes through the assembly of naval ships. Indeed, an exciting occasion!
