The Royal Yacht Britannia was built to replace its predecessor, the Victoria and Albert III, which was the first Royal Yacht not to be powered by sail. In the early years of the Britannia's life it was also home to the Queen's Rolls-Royce Phantom V which was hoisted and lowered from a special garage compartment at port so that the Queen could drive her own car at each location. No fewer than four royal couples celebrated their honeymoons in the HMY Britannia's honeymoon suite (the only room onboard with a double bed.) We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. We look forward to welcoming you on board in Spring 2021. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. Receive news about The Royal Yacht Britannia. Elizabeth cracked a bottle of wine (at the time champagne was considered too extravagant for the launch of a ship) and announced, "I name this ship Britannia… I wish success to her and all who sail in her.". The Duke of Edinburgh has criticised the decision to decommission the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was taken out of service after 43 years in 1997. On 23 June 1994, John Major's Government announced there would be no refit for HMY Britannia as the costs would be too great. The King was already in failing health by the time the designs for the HMY Britannia were submitted, and the hope was that traveling might help alleviate some of his symptoms. The tour often included a stop off at the Castle of Mey to visit the Queen Mother and then making berth in Aberdeen so that the Queen could travel to her favorite summer home, Balmoral. The crew got around this rather surprising pitfall by using voice pipes from the bridge to confer navigational orders. Please keep checking our website and social media for further updates. With 12,000 horsepower, the ship could travel at a maximum 22.5 knots, ideal for ocean-going diplomacy. The gold and white binnacle housed on the ship's veranda deck was originally part of the HMY Royal George, a royal yacht that served Queen Victoria. The Queen is known to have shed a tear when Britannia was decommissioned. After the Queen officially took her leave of it in 1997, the ship was placed in the port of Leith in Scotland where it serves as a floating museum and events venue. Likewise, some of the Queen's bed linens were originally made for Victoria's bed aboard one of the previous royal yachts. (Subject to Government guidelines at the time.). Perhaps the most unusual element of the ship's functioning, though, was the steering. Royal Yacht Britannia: Yacht should really be "decommissioned". Being permanently moored definitely doesn’t mean standing still, however. Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails. - See 22,171 traveller reviews, 9,676 candid photos, and great deals for Edinburgh, UK, at Tripadvisor. However, just two days after the John Brown shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland received the order the King passed away on February 6, 1952. Though plans were initially drawn up for a replacement yacht, the government ultimately determined not to fund the effort. Though her grandmother wasn't in attendance (the Queen reportedly hasn't been back on the Britannia since 1997) Zara celebrated her upcoming marriage to Mike Tindall onboard along with her mother and her cousins Prince Harry, Prince William and Duchess Kate, Princess Eugenie, and Princess Beatrice. Here, a photo tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia, formerly the floating official residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The ship hosted four royal honeymoons in its 44 years of service. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Suffice to say that even low-key royal living is a fairly high class. There was no immediate decision about a replacement, but the question of a new Royal Yacht became a political issue in the run up to the 1997 General Election. Town & Country participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. A Sombre Farewell. Known by many names such as Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth’s Yacht, HMY Britannia, etc., this Yacht was in the Queen’s service for 44 years and sailed more than a million miles around the world.. As she sailed past John Brown's Shipyard, she gave a blast on her sirens, in fond farewell to the yard which had proudly built her. After the election, the new Labour Government eventually confirmed in October 1997 there would be no replacement for Britannia. “The Royal Yacht Britannia has had its most successful year since first opening to the public 18 years ago.” several newspapers wrote today. While working, the crew reportedly used hand signals to communicate rather than shouting orders, in order to maintain a sense of quiet and calm for the royal residents. The interiors were ultimately redesigned by Sir Hugh Casson and received very minimal updates throughout her 44 years of service. It wasn't announced until the ship's official launch in April of 1953, less than two months before the Queen's coronation. Our online gift shop is open. The Britannia was the first royal yacht to be built for ocean travel Source:home.bt.com Built by John Brown & Co at the shipyard in Clyde bank, Scotland alongside well-known liners Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, the Britannia was constructed to travel at a maximum 22.5 knots, which made it ideal for ocean-going diplomacy. Though the ship was never actually put to that purpose, it was pressed into service on a rescue mission to help evacuate European nationals from South Yemen in 1986. Royal Yacht Britannia used to be Queen Elizabeth’s Palace on Water and is now the most popular tourist attraction in Scotland. Royal Yacht Britannia: Why was this decommissioned? After a long and successful career spanning 44 years and travelling over 1 million miles around the globe, it was announced that the last Royal Yacht was to be decommissioned. It was sixty years ago today (April 16) that Queen Elizabeth II christened Britannia, the last in a long line of royal yachts that date back to the 17 th century.. For Elizabeth, Britannia was a floating royal residence, a Buckingham Palace at sea. It is cared for by the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, a registered charity. Britannia was launched at John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank on 16 April 1953 and she was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base on 11 December 1997 in the presence of the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and fourteen senior members of The Royal Family. Hire Her Majesty The Queen's former floating palace and experience an event of a lifetime. A newly discovered note in the U.K.'s National Archives shows Queen Elizabeth II let government officials know she would welcome a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia once it was decommissioned. The space was ever so slightly too small, forcing the bumpers to be removed in order to get it into the garage without damage and then refitted when the car was removed. A 21st-century national flagship must have official government backing. The royal yacht Britannia leaves Portsmouth for the last time in 1997. The crew managed to duck the press so efficiently they garnered the nickname "the ghost ship." It was also the last ship in the royal navy where the crew members slept in hammocks, a practice that they maintained until 1973. Designed to be a symbol of the nation’s pride and the flagship of the Royal Family, Britannia was the … The ship was built by John Brown & Co at the same shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland where the famous ocean liners the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary were constructed. While on most ships, the steering wheel sits on the bridge, overlooking the front of the vessel, Britannia's was on the deck below in the wheelhouse, which meant that the yachtsmen who were actually doing the steering couldn't see where they were going. Below, a few of its most notable moments throughout history. The occasion will be marked by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, who will have their final lunch on board before attending the official paying-off ceremony. The twisted saga of Britannia’s final years began under John Major’s government, which announced, in 1994, that the 41-year-old yacht would be decommissioned when she came up … When she was decommissioned in 1997, it marked the end of a long tradition of British Royal Yachts, dating back to 1660 and the reign of Charles II. At the moment of decommissioning, exactly one minute past three, all the clocks on board were stopped. Please doff your sailor’s cap to honor a bit of British nautical history. We are sorry to announce that the charity that operates The Royal Yacht Britannia have taken the decision to temporarily close to visitors from 9am on Wednesday 4 November until Monday 29 March 2021. In fact, over the centuries the monarchy has utilized 83 royal yachts, including the most recent, the HMY Britannia. Royal Yacht Britannia: A 15-minute bus ride from Edinburgh city center; www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Why the Duchess of Cornwall Loves Reading, What to Buy at DeMellier London's Winter Sale, Royal Reveals Rare Look Inside Kensington Palace, Kate's Kids Hosted a Tea Party for Her Birthday, Sussexes "Unlikely" to Return to Social Media, Remembering Philanthropist Marguerite Littman, The Royal Family Marks Kate Middleton's Birthdayg, Queen Elizabeth Receives Coronavirus Vaccine. Things didn't go quite as smoothly for Princess Anne on her honeymoon with Captain Mark Phillips in 1973—storms and 20-foot waves left the couple stricken with seasickness for the first week of their Caribbean cruise. (AP) Ahoy there, matey. Britannia was decommissioned at a … A great range of exclusive souvenir gifts, Royal gifts, china, toys, food and nautical items. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh embarked on Britannia for the first time in Tobruk on 1 May 1954. A post shared by The Royal Yacht Britannia (@royalyachtbritannia). In addition to the 56-seat State Dining Room, which hosted luminaries including Winston Churchill, Noel Coward, Nelson Mandela, and multiple US Presidents, the ship also sported a formal staircase where the Queen would greet guests, separate bedrooms and sitting rooms for both Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh, and a phone system designed to match the unique configurations of Buckingham Palace's telephones. Ultimately Elizabeth began using cars provided for her at port instead and the garage was converted into a storage area for beer. It was a sad day when The Queen finally bid farewell to a ship that had so faithfully served her family and her country for over forty years. All of the clocks on board remain stopped at 3:01, the exact time that Her Majesty disembarked for the last time. After an active lifetime in which she sailed over a million miles, the Royal Yacht Britannia is one of the world's best known ships. - See 22,171 traveler reviews, 9,676 candid photos, and great deals for Edinburgh, UK, at Tripadvisor. Royal Yacht Britannia: Why was this decommissioned? With so many memories around the yacht, it's not hard to understand why the decommissioning of the Britannia was upsetting for the royal family. - See 22,170 traveler reviews, 9,676 candid photos, and great deals for Edinburgh, UK, at Tripadvisor. During the summer months, the royal family would often take off on what became known as the aptly named Western Isles tour, cruising around the western isles of Scotland. In 2011 on the night before her wedding, the Queen's oldest granddaughter Zara Phillips contracted the ship for a reception. Elizabeth and Philip oversaw the design and decoration of the Britannia when it was agreed that her parents' boat, the Victoria & Albert, was no longer seaworthy. Britannia was the first Royal Yacht to be built with complete ocean-going capacity and designed as a Royal residence to entertain guests around the world. This was a clockwise circumnavigation of Britain, calling at six major ports, including Glasgow. Our luxury floating hotel and exclusive use venue. Caribbean honeymoon with Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Reportedly Back from Their Honeymoon, How to Plan a Royal-Themed Trip to Windsor, Everything We Know So Far About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Upcoming Royal Tour, The True Story of the Romanov Family's Execution. In its 44 years of service, the HMY Britannia traveled around 1.1 million miles. Princess Margaret started the tradition in 1960 for her Caribbean honeymoon with Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a quiet, formal affair where dinners were taken in full evening dress every night. She was the 83rd royal yacht since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660 and the second to be called Britannia. Often referred to as the last royal yacht, the Britannia was decommissioned in 1997, and despite some efforts, there are no signs of a new one in the near future. It would take just over a year for the ship to be completed, during which its name remained a secret. The much-loved Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997 This is all most encouraging. Once deemed an official Royal residence it has been used for state visits and official receptions, in addition it has been used for Royal family holidays and for the honeymoons of several Royal … The Royal Yacht Britannia was used by Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for more than 40 years, sailing over 1,000,000 miles around the world. The royal yacht – the jewel in the Queen’s beloved fleet – was decommissioned in 1997, with then Prime Minister John Major announcing it would be retired from service in 1995. Happy 60th Birthday! The Royal Yacht Britannia - built in 1953 - is being decommissioned in Portsmouth on Thursday. The Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned on 11 December 1997 in Portsmouth, and the ceremony is one of the rare times Her Majesty has ever cried in public. On 23 June 1994, John Major's Government announced there would be no refit for HMY Britannia as the costs would be too great. This content is imported from Instagram. Queen blamed Major for royal yacht fiasco. Though it's no longer used as their private vessel, the Britannia's connection to the royal family didn't end in 1997. Though its seafaring days may be behind it (the ship now serves as a tourist attraction in Edinburgh, Scotland), the Britannia remains an important artifact and a peek behind the curtain of royal life. This was one of the few occasions The Queen publicly shed a tear as The Band of HM Royal Marines played the highly emotive 'Highland Cathedral.'. Britannia's future was a talking-point in the run-up to the 1997 general election. Britannia sailed on her maiden voyage from Portsmouth to Grand Harbour, Malta, departing on 14 April and arriving on 22 April 1954. Long before it became a floating museum, the Britannia had an eye for history. A Conservative lawmaker and the Daily Telegraph newspaper are proposing to recommission the royal yacht Britannia, former berth of Queen Elizabeth II, and send it … During the trip, the family would play games and have barbecues on the islands. Prince Charles and Princess Diana famously spent their 1981 honeymoon on a Mediterranean cruise aboard the yacht. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. To begin with, due to the prestige and pressure of the position, the commanding officer of the royal yacht was always a flag officer, most commonly a Rear Admiral, although the first two to serve were Vice Admirals and Britannia's final CO was a Commodore. Frugal Queen uses bedsheets from the Royal Yacht Britannia that was decommissioned in 1997 – and turns them into pillow cases when they’re moth-eaten – The Sun SHE may live in a palace and have a host of sparkling jewels at her disposal, but the Queen has her frugal moments. Britannia's steering wheel was lifted from her namesake, the racing yacht HMY Britannia, built in 1893 for King Edward VII. Sailing the seas for more than 40 years, the yacht was decommissioned on Dec. 11, 1997. All the clocks on Britannia were stopped at 15:01, the time The Queen was piped ashore for the last time. Prior to its launch, the royal family used ships from the Royal Navy or even passenger liners for the overseas portions of the royal tour. Rule Britannia! The main veranda was laid out and re-enforced so that it could support a helicopter landing and the laundry was made much larger than on a standard naval vessel to accommodate the potential patients. The stairway off of the veranda was sometimes even converted into a waterslide for the younger royals. The Royal Yacht Britannia,Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ, Tel: 0131 555 5566Email us: enquiries@tryb.co.uk. And the final royal honeymoon aboard the Britannia was taken by Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York in 1986 when the couple traveled around the Azores. Despite the sense of luxury that the term "royal yacht" inspires, the Queen and Prince Philip were actually concerned when they began overseeing the project in 1952 that the original interior design plans by the design firm McInnes Gardner & Partners were too lavish for a country still recovering from the war.