Editing Ceremonial ship launching (section)

===Early Modern Age===
[[File:Vue du Vaisseau du Roy le duc de Bourgogne btv1b8409221q.jpg|thumb|right|The side launch of French ship [[French ship Duc de Bourgogne (1751)|''Duc de Bourgogne'']] at [[Rochefort, Charente-Maritime|Rochefort]] on 20 October 1751.]]

The liturgical aspects of ship christenings, or baptisms, continued in [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] countries, while the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] seems to have put a stop to them for a time in [[Protestantism|Protestant]] Europe. By the 17th century, for example, English launchings were secular affairs.  The christening party for the launch of the 64-gun ship of the line {{ship|English ship|Prince Royal|1610|2}} in 1610 included the [[Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales|Prince of Wales]] and famed naval constructor [[Phineas Pett]], who was master shipwright at the Woolwich yard. Pett described the proceedings:<ref name="FAQ108"/>

{{blockquote|
The noble Prince… accompanied with the Lord Admiral and the great lords, were on the [[poop deck|poop]], where the standing great gilt cup was ready filled with wine to name the ship SO soon as she had been afloat, according to ancient custom and ceremony performed at such times, and heaving the standing cup overboard.  His Highness then standing upon the poop with a selected company only, besides the trumpeters, with a great deal of expression of princely joy, and with the ceremony of drinking in the standing cup, threw all the wine forwards towards the half-deck, and solemnly calling her by name of the Prince Royal, the trumpets sounding the while, with many gracious words to me, gave the standing cup into my hands.<ref name="FAQ108"/>
}}

The "standing cup" was a large cup fashioned of precious metal. When the ship began to slide down the ways, the presiding official took a ceremonial sip of wine from the cup, and poured the rest on the deck or over the bow. Usually the cup was thrown overboard and belonged to the lucky retriever. As navies grew larger and launchings more frequent, economy dictated that the costly cup be caught in a net for reuse at other launchings. Late in 17th century Britain, the standing-cup ceremony was replaced by the practice of breaking a bottle across the bow.<ref name="FAQ108"/>