The MV Havengore which carried the coffin of Winston Churchill on 30 January 1965 may be sold to an international buyer.
The barge saw Sir Winston Churchill on his last journey by water along the River Thames from Tower Pier to Festival Pier during his state funeral. On her journey along the Thames, Havengore was saluted by a flypast of 16 English Electric Lightning fighter jets, and dock cranes were bowed as she passed.
The current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has made an official appeal to keep the Havengore in the UK. The PM’s official spokesman said: “When it comes to preserving our heritage, the Prime Minister strongly believes the history of remarkable British heroes like Churchill should remain in our public spaces and he remains hopeful the vessel can remain in Britain.”