Royal Yacht HMY "Britannia"
Royal yachts are nothing new. In fact, there have been over 80 such vessels, since the
restoration of the Monarchy, in 1660. Commissioned for royal
service, these yachts served as a form of transportation, before air travel became commonplace, as well as royal residences, providing a suitable space for glittering state visits, official receptions, and relaxing royal
family holidays.
The latest [and very likely last] of these royal yachts, the “Royal Yacht Britannia”, was launched from the John Brown & Company shipyard, in
Scotland, in 1953. The ship’s maiden voyage took her from Portsmouth to
Malta, with the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, first sailing in 1954, from Tobruk, Libya.
“For Great Britain, she was a majestic symbol of the Commonwealth and a proud ambassador generating billions of pounds in
trade deals," states Casey Rust,
Marketing Director of The Royal Yacht Britannia & Fingal
Hotel. "For the royal
family and 220 dedicated crew of royal yachtsmen, she was home.”
The floating palace was the preferred honeymoon
destination for no fewer than three of Her Majesty’s
children. Princess Anne and her first husband cruised through the West Indies, in 1973, while Prince Charles and Princess Diana toured the
Mediterranean, after tying the
knot in 1981. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson had but five days to whip out to the
Azores and back, in 1986.
The royal yacht has hosted other private shindigs as well, most recently the pre-wedding cocktail party, for Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, the night before her July 20, 2011 nuptials. Incidentally, Princess Anne was the last royal to roll up the carpet (sadly not red) in the the State Dining Room, which revealed a dance floor, that was put to good use for her 21st birthday in August 1971.
While in royal
service, it took a crew of 220 Royal Yachtsmen to keep Britannia running.
After a long and successful career, spanning 44 years, and travelling more than a million miles around the globe, John Major's
Government announced, in 1994, there would be no
refit for HMY Britannia, as the costs would be too great. (The question of a new royal yacht became a political issue, until the
government confirmed, in 1997, there would be no replacement.)
All the clocks on board remain stopped at 3:01pm, the exact time H.M. The Queen was piped ashore, for the final time, during the decommissioning ceremony.
Cities from around the United Kingdom bid to become Britannia's new home, with Edinburgh eventually sealing the deal, promising to keep her in the manner to which she was accustomed. And so they have. Britannia is now owned by an independent charity, The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, and all proceeds are invested in the long term
maintenance of the ship for future generations to enjoy.
HMY “Britannia” departs Cardiff for the last time.