Duke to visit charred Cutty Sark

LONDON (Reuters) - The Duke of Edinburgh will visit the blackened hulk of the Cutty Sark on Tuesday as police investigate the blaze that tore through the 19th century tea clipper.

Prince Philip, who co-founded the Cutty Sark Society in 1951 to help save the ship, will see how Monday's fire caused millions of pounds of damage to the London landmark.

"The Duke was sorry to hear of the fire, this sad setback to an important example of our national maritime heritage," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

He and the Queen were already due to visit Greenwich to open the new Royal Observatory on Tuesday.

Police are investigating whether the fire was started deliberately.

Forensics officers have been given the all-clear to board the charred boat. Police are checking security camera footage and have appealed for witnesses.

"(They) will be working to locate the seat of the fire and how it started," Scotland Yard said in a statement. "They are keeping all the options open."

The fire broke out around 4:45 a.m. on Monday and quickly spread through the timber and iron ship.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, the charity which owns and runs the ship, appealed for help in saving their "national treasure".