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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has visited Birkenhead's historic shipyard as part of a tour of the North West.
The King visited the Balaena yard, formerly known as Cammell Laird, on the morning of Tuesday, 3 November, during a Dutch trade mission focused on maritime engineering, manufacturing and skills.
Netherlands' king spoke to attendees on the shipyard's south slipway before he toured the site. On his tour, he saw engineering work and met British and Dutch maritime firms.
Vessels in the yard's wet basin and dry dock include the RRS Sir David Attenborough and the Isle of Man Steam Packet's Manxman, the Wirral Globe reports.
The visit ended at Birkenhead's Engineering College, where the King met apprentices training in welding, pipework and engineering design, as well as graduate naval architects.
He described the yard as "a wonderful and a fitting place to start the day".
Simon Gillett, group chief executive of Balaena, said: "We are extremely proud to welcome His Majesty the King to the Balaena yard here at Birkenhead, one of Britain's most historic shipyards."
He added: "The UK and the Netherlands have a longstanding maritime relationship, founded on shared heritage, expertise and innovation."
Managing director Mike Hill, who started his career as an engineering apprentice at the yard, said: "The future of British shipbuilding lies in the skills and ambition of the next generation."
The King was joined by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who said there was "so much that we can achieve" by building more partnerships.
London-based Balaena took over the yard's owner, APCL, in June. The group now runs 12 dry docks.
The yard also built the new Royal Daffodil Mersey Ferry, which entered service on Tuesday.
After Birkenhead, the King went on to other visits in the region, including the Dutch naval ship HNLMS Johan de Witt at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal.
