All eyes on King William as new Brittany Ferries ship for Portsmouth is named

While all eyes will be on events surrounding the coronation of King Charles III this weekend, in a quiet corner of France thoughts went back to the first monarch crowned at Westminster Abbey at the naming ceremony for a new Brittany Ferries ship which will be plying her trade from Portsmouth.

The hybrid vessel serving the route between the city and Caen has been named Guillaume de Normandie. When she comes in to service in May 2025 she will be the joint-largest hybrid vessel, replacing Normandie and sailing alongside her sister Saint-Malo.

Guillaume de Normandie will be the fourth vessel in the fleet to be fuelled by cleaner liquefied natural gas (LNG). Powered by two 13,740 kW engines, she will be configured to run on LNG, on battery power or on a combination of the two in hybrid mode. Her name was confirmed at a ceremony in Caen, where Guillaume de Normandie (or William the Conqueror as he is better known from our early learnings of British history at school) is buried.

“I think this name perfectly captures the enduring partnership between Brittany Ferries, the region of Normandy and the British people,” said Christophe Mathieu, the CEO of Brittany Ferries. “Guillaume was the favourite son of the Normandy region, but he was also the first king to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. King Charles III will be the 40th. So of course, while this is a nod to the past, it is also a celebration of our present and future together. It’s something I hope all our British friends will appreciate as they celebrate the King’s coronation this weekend.”

Prince Charles visited Brittany Ferries at its head office in Roscoff back in 1988. He was hosted by the company’s founder Alexis Gourvennec, a working farmer and one of the many farmer-shareholders who launched the company in 1973. In 2006, Gourvennec was awarded the Honorary Commander of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The new ship will have 220 cabins - including 21 which are pet-friendly - four restaurants and bars, a VIP lounge, two boutiques and two children’s play areas.