THE Countess of Wessex was today given a lesson on how to build a warship when she braved an ice cold breeze to tour a Clyde shipyard.

The Royal VIP watched steel being cut and giant blocks put together at the Govan yard before being shown HMS Defender, which is currently under construction.

Her Royal Highness, pictured with IWT manager David Thomas and apprentice Joanne McGlinchey, has taken a keen interest in the £6billion Type 45 programme, which involves building six destroyers on the Clyde.

The countess was yesterday reunited with HMS Daring, which she launched in 2006, when she visited Scotstoun to present a long service medal to crew member, petty officer Neil Hudson. Today she visited its sister yard at Govan to be shown how the world's most sophisticated warships are being built.

BVT Surface Fleet employ 4000 workers at both warship yards and chief executive Alan Johnston said: "It is a great honour to welcome the countess.

"I am delighted that she has taken such an interest in the programme and has taken time out to meet with our workforce.

"In the last few weeks we have achieved several milestones, including taking ship two Dauntless out to sea for the first time, the launch of the fourth ship, Dragon, ship five Defender, is already starting to take shape on the shipway and the bow block for ship 6, Duncan, has been delivered to the Clyde from BVT's facility in Portsmouth."

Picture: Martin Shields