Unlike the Princess, however, no examples of the Duchess ever flew; attempts to garner interest in the concept never resulted in any orders being placed for the type, thus it never left the drawing board.
[1] These flying boats had not only pioneered new aerial routes across the British Empire which had previously not been served at all, passengers were transported within an unprecedented level of comfort, being provided with luxurious first class accommodation, including a promenade, sizable galley, separate bathrooms for men and women, and individual cabins for passengers.
[2] Even prior to the war's end, the British Air Ministry was enthusiastic on the prospects for reviving the shuttered flying boat routes.
[3] During this same era, the British aircraft manufacturer Saunders-Roe had established itself as a prominent specialist in the field of flying boats in both civil and military contexts.
[5] Additional supporting data for the Duchess's development was provided by the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE), based at Felixstowe.
[4] The Saunders-Roe Duchess would have been a high-wing cantilever monoplane, featuring a relatively conventional tail and a full-length planing bottom hull.