Earlier this month, the United Kingdom crowned a new monarch, King Charles III, for the first time in more than 70 years. For many, this historic occasion drew comparisons to the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II. On that monumental occasion in 1953, America's Flagship played a notable role bringing dignitaries and American media personalties across the Atlantic for the coronation.



Among the passengers traveling on the SS United States was noted American news broadcaster Walter Cronkite (later the Conservancy's Honorary Advisory Council Chair). Also on board was The Washington Times-Herald’s Jacqueline Bouvier, who was one of the 40,000 Americans to visit London for the Queen’s coronation. Only a few months, later, Miss Bouvier would become Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, and the rest as, they say is history.

Town & Country magazine offered a look back at Jackie Kennedy's coronation reporting, complete with this grandiose opening about America's Flagship extolling her significance as a symbol of the nation:

"Manufactured entirely in America, the SS United States was conceived to be a symbol of an ascendant postwar nation, proudly declaring itself the most powerful on earth. Every aspect of the ship’s vision and execution was intended to convey a patriotic aura, starting with its two distinct red, white, and blue smokestacks. The striking interiors featured red, white, blue, and gold walls and draperies, and midcentury modern furniture, rather than faux old-world antiques. Above the grand staircase was a massive metal seal of the United States."

CLICK HERE to read the full story in Town & Country.

Vogue also recently shared a stellar article about Jackie Kennedy's voyage about the SS United States and her time in London, even referencing the notably more luxurious accommodations Jackie and her traveling companions enjoyed aboard the Big U. As the article noted, "...rather than checking into a Mayfair hotel, [Jackie] stayed in the W1 apartment of Lady Abel Smith, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen since 1947. The South Audley Street flat lacked the plush modern amenities of the SS United States."

The 1953 trip was not Jackie Kennedy's last trip aboard the Big U. Two years later, she and then Senator John F. Kennedy would return from Europe aboard the SS United States (pictured above) after the Senator completed a tour of several NATO member nations.