P&O chairman James Mackay gave his daughter Elsie substantial responsibility and a large budget for decorating the R-class ships. That arrangement shows the commercial freedom behind the liners' ornate interiors, which differed sharply from the controlled design process of a Royal Navy warship. Elsie's career also included work as an actress and architect, followed by the aviation ambitions that led to her fatal attempt to fly the Atlantic. Rawalpindi's prewar story therefore reaches beyond maritime transport into civilian design culture, elite family networks, and interwar aviation.
Notable Point · 13:19-16:20
Elsie Mackay, R-class interiors, and a risky aviation career
The R-class liners also open a window onto Elsie Mackay's commercial design work, family patronage, and fatal attempt to fly the Atlantic.