Yachts in the service of the English, and later British, Crown date back to 1660 and King Charles II's Royal Yacht Mary, gifted to him by the people of Amsterdam. Over the next 279 years, another 81 Royal Yachts were built, ending with Victoria & Albert III, commissioned for Queen Victoria who, ironically, never stepped foot aboard after hearing rumours of the vessel's lack of stability. After serving four monarchs, Victoria & Albert III was decommissioned in 1939 and the outbreak of the Second World War precluded the construction of a replacement. Only well after the end of the war was the UK Government able to consider funding a new Royal Yacht, which would complement Great Britain's global interests with sufficient endurance to undertake long-distance cruises to the furthest parts of the Commonwealth. At the same time, it was agreed that any new Royal Yacht would have to be convertible into a hospital ship in the event of another war, though this role was ultimately never fulfilled.
Construction of this new Royal Yacht was finally ordered in an Admiralty telegram of 4 February 1952 addressed to the John Brown & Co. shipyard on the Clyde, builders of the famous Cunard liners RMS Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Two days later, King George VI died, meaning that the vessel would serve not him but his daughter and successor, Queen Elizabeth II. The keel of the new yacht was laid in June 1952 and just under one year later she was ready to be launched. Although one of the last fully-riveted ships to be built, the yacht's smooth hull was achieved through the application of a special base layer topped by six coats of paint. As the yacht would also have to travel under bridges when entering various foreign ports, the top 20 feet of the mainmast (the middle of the ship's three masts) and the radio aerial was hinged, a feature unique to the new Royal Yacht at the time of its construction. With the yacht's name kept strictly secret beforehand, it was left to The Queen to launch the vessel on 16 April 1953 with the words, 'I name this ship Britannia. I wish success to her and to all who sail in her'. The launch of Britannia was the first time a reigning monarch had launched a Royal Yacht built for his or her own use.
The interiors of Her Majesty's Yacht (HMY) Britannia were the work of Sir Hugh Casson, who employed a restrained elegance in line with both the post-war austerity of the 1950s and the modest tastes of The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. Indeed, the Royal couple took an active interest in the design of Britannia and had the final say on a number of questions, including the decision to paint the hull blue, a first for a Royal Yacht. Additionally, Prince Philip's background as a naval officer led him to take an active interest in the technical aspects of the ship, and he advised on the appropriate practices and traditions for a 20th century Royal Yacht. So reflective of her personality and style was HMY Britannia that The Queen remarked of the vessel, 'This is where I can truly relax'.
Over the course of 44 years, HMY Britannia undertook 968 official voyages, including more than 700 Royal visits at home and overseas. Making those trips, she cruised over 1 million miles (over 1.6 million kilometres), or the equivalent of once around the world for each year of service. When not conducting Royal visits abroad, Britannia followed a well-established summer schedule, carrying the Royal Family to the Cowes Week Regatta in the waters around the Isle of Wight, followed by the annual holiday cruise around the Western Isles of Scotland. During these cruises, the Royal Family was able to relax in privacy, enjoying barbeques on deserted island beaches, quiet walks in nature, and informal concert parties involving Britannia's crew of Royal Yachtsmen. The Queen and Prince Philip would also invite the yacht's officers to dine with them and were in turn hosted by the officers in the Wardroom. These Western Isles cruises also invariably included a stop at Scrabster in far northern Scotland to visit Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, living at the Castle of Mey.
HMY Britannia also played host to four Royal honeymoon cruises during its service life, voyaging to the West Indies for Princess Margaret's honeymoon in 1960 and Princess Anne's honeymoon in 1973, to the Mediterranean for Prince Charles's honeymoon in 1981, and to the Azores for Prince Andrew's honeymoon in 1986.
In addition to Royal duties, Britannia also played an important role in promoting British commercial interests abroad as a prestigious floating networking venue. The use of the Royal Yacht to host overseas trade missions was a concession to critics of the cost of maintaining the vessel. Invitations to come aboard Britannia for 'Sea Days' were highly sought after by businessmen and politicians around the world, especially when a member of the Royal Family was also onboard. The first 'Sea Day' was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1968, and the last one in Gibraltar on 22 July 1997. One study by Britain's Overseas Trade Board estimated that £3 billion was generated in business taxes arising from deals signed as a result of Britannia's commercial activities between 1991 and 1995 alone.
A highlight of Britannia's life was the rescue of British and other foreign nationals caught in the midst of a civil war in South Yemen in January 1986. Steaming down the Red Sea en route to Australia, Britannia was called upon to respond to the emergency call, with The Queen approving the diversion from London. After anchoring off Khormaksar Beach at 8:00pm on 17 January, Britannia's crew used the yacht's motor launches to shuttle evacuees to the ship. With Britannia's State Drawing and Dining Rooms cleared of furniture and converted into makeshift dormitories, the evacuees were given blankets, hot soup and food, and a place to sleep. Over six days, Britannia rescued 1,068 of the 1,379 people of 55 nationalities taken out of South Yemen by British ships in Operation Balsac. The heroics of the Royal Yachtsmen earned plaudits from The Queen, the British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, and the UK defence chiefs, who sent congratulatory telegrams.
The beginning of the end for the Royal Yacht came in 1994 when her Commanding Officer, Rear Admiral Robert Woodard, assembled the crew in the State Dining Room to inform them that the Conservative government had decided to decommission Britannia. Although debate over whether to build a successor to Britannia raged for several years after the 1994 announcement and advanced plans for a new Royal Yacht estimated to cost £80 million were being considered by the Ministry of Defence, the Labour government announced on 10 October 1997 that no new Royal Yacht would be built. It was also announced at this time that Britannia would not be scuttled, as was customary for retired Royal Yachts, but would instead be preserved as a museum ship.
Before her decommissioning, and as her last official visit to a foreign port, HMY Britannia sailed to Hong Kong carrying Prince Charles, who represented The Queen during the handover of the British colony to China, which took effect at midnight on 30 June 1997. After the Union Jack was lowered for the last time, the colony's final Governor, Chris Patten, boarded Britannia and steamed out of Hong Kong Harbour for the return voyage to the UK.
Britannia's final voyage was a farewell tour of the UK, commencing 20 October 1997 with her departure from Portsmouth. As per naval custom, Britannia flew her paying off pennant, measuring 412 feet long, the same length as the Royal Yacht herself. Sailing clockwise around Britain, Britannia visited six ports along the way, with her final departure from London being on 21 November. A final night was spent at sea, with Britannia arriving back in Portsmouth the next day. Having docked in Portsmouth, the Royal Yacht's engines were shut down for the last time at 11:35am on 22 November.
A formal decommissioning ceremony was held in Portsmouth on 11 December 1997, with The Queen, Prince Philip, and most of the Royal Family in attendance. As the Royal Marine Band marched off, playing Auld Lang Syne in salute to Britannia, The Queen and Princess Anne were seen wiping away tears. The Queen was piped ashore for the last time at 3:01pm that day, and to this day all of the clocks aboard Britannia remain stopped at 3:01pm.
Even before Britannia's decommissioning, the UK government had invited organisations to submit bids to provide a new home for the Royal Yacht as a museum ship open to the public, with a pre-set sale price of £250,000. Seven bids were received, from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Portsmouth, and three from London. Evaluated on quality, appropriateness, and how the yacht would be cared for in keeping with her former role, the Edinburgh and Manchester bids were shortlisted for further study, with Edinburgh's ultimately being selected. Britannia was towed to Edinburgh on 5 July 1998 and dry docked in May for cleaning and painting. In October 1998, Britannia opened to the public as a museum ship under the administration of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, attracting 400,000 visitors in the first year of operation, twice as many as anticipated.
In 2001, Britannia moved to her present berth adjacent to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre. In January 2012, Britannia was dry docked for hull washing and repainting, a process not expected to be repeated until 2032. The self-funded, non-profit Royal Yacht Britannia Trust works to 'promote the permanent and dignified preservation, maintenance and use of the Royal Yacht Britannia, in a manner consistent with her dignity as a former Royal Palace'. All surplus revenue generated from admissions, gift shop sales, and venue rentals is directed to the preservation and maintenance of the Royal Yacht. Britannia is today cared for by a team of 18 former Royal Navy sailors and Royal Dockyard employees, led by a naval architect, who are responsible for ensuring that the ship is maintained in top condition. Another seven housekeeping staff are responsible for keeping the ship's public areas clean. Marine surveyors conduct a full survey of Britannia, both above and below water, every year.
Today, Britannia attracts an average of 300,000 visitors annually and has consistently been ranked as 'Scotland's best visitor attraction' by VisitScotland, the national tourism agency. Most of the artefacts displayed aboard Britannia are original to the Royal Yacht and are on loan from The Royal Collection, the Ministry of Defence, and the Britannia Wardroom Officers' Trust. She is part of the Core Collection of the National Register of Historic Ships.
Below: A pamphlet on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Photos taken 13 April 2019
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| HMY Britannia moored at Ocean Terminal, a shopping centre in the Edinburgh suburb of Leith. |
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| The entrance to the Royal Yacht Britannia. The ticket kiosk is just inside the entrance on the left, with visitors proceeding through a small interpretation centre highlighting the history of Royal Yachts, Britannia's voyages and crew, and the special fondness felt for the ship by the Royal Family before boarding the yacht. A large gift shop is located on the right, in which visitors may purchase a wide range of Britannia- and Scotland-themed souvenirs. |
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| An adult admission ticket for HMY Britannia (in April 2019, admission was £16.50). The stub has been removed by museum staff prior to boarding. Admission includes a free handheld audio tour guide. |
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| HMY Britannia's Wheelhouse, now on display in the interpretation centre, was originally located one deck below the yacht's bridge. Wheelhouses, from where ships were steered, were traditionally located below deck to protect them from enemy attack. Two polished voice pipes over the wheel allowed commands to be relayed from the bridge to the helmsman and the two engine telegraph operators on duty in the Wheelhouse. The engine telegraphs were linked by mechanical rod gearing to the Engine Room, located five decks below, and were used to pass orders to increase or decrease the ship's speed. Britannia's wheel was originally mounted on the racing yacht Britannia (1893), built for the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and inherited by Queen Elizabeth II's father, King George VI. |
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| One of the two ornate binnacles carved from a solid piece of mahogany and mounted on the 1817-built Royal Yacht Royal George to house the vessel's compasses. Subsequently fitted to each succeeding Royal Yacht, only one was mounted on Britannia in 1953, the other being displayed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, near London This binnacle stood on the Verandah Deck aboard HMY Britannia and was often used as a prop in official photos taken of the Royal Family or the yacht's crew. |
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| A closer look at the compass mounted inside the binnacle from the Royal George (1817) and all later Royal Yachts. A carving of St Edward's Crown features at the top of the binnacle. |
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| A graphic showing the number and composition of the 241-man crew of the Royal Yacht Britannia, from the Commodore Commanding Royal Yacht (an admiral) and his officers down to stewards, cooks, and the ship's Royal Marine Band. Approximately half of the crew, known as Royal Yachtsmen (nicknamed 'Yotties') were assigned for a two-year posting to Britannia, with the remainder specially selected to serve their entire naval careers aboard the Royal Yacht. Service as a Royal Yachtsman carried no extra pay, allowances, or leave entitlements, and promotions were rare on account of the very low rate of resignations from the Royal Yacht Service; additionally, Yotties found guilty of misconduct faced instant dismissal. Despite this formality, and contrary to the rest of the Royal Navy, Royal Yachtsmen were always addressed by their first names or nicknames and enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the concert parties put on for the Royal Family at the end of Western Isles holiday cruises. |
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| The ceremonial dress uniform of Britannia's last commanding officer, Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Woodard, KCVO, Flag Officer Royal Yacht, 1990-1995. Sir Robert was knighted by The Queen aboard Britannia while in Durban, South Africa in March 1995. The Admiral's rank accorded to Britannia's commanding officers reflected the position's important ambassadorial duties while accompanying the Royal Family on State visits abroad. With the exception of Britannia's last captain, Commodore Anthony Morrow, the yacht was always captained by a Flag Officer, generally a Rear Admiral. |
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| Boarding HMY Britannia at the level of the Bridge, the first stop on the self-guided tour. |
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| Looking forward on Britannia's port bow. Located forward of and one deck below the Bridge is the Royal Bridge, a viewing platform often used by the Royal Family to wave to gathered crowds; the curved teak windscreen was added later in the yacht's life and was designed to protect the Royals from skirt-lifting wind gusts that could have caused embarrassment. |
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| Looking into Britannia's surprisingly small Bridge. |
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HMY Britannia's Bridge, virtually unchanged from its original 1953 appearance, with the exception of the installation of a modern radar display. When at sea, the Bridge would be manned by an Officer of the Watch, a signalman, and a lookout.
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The ship's binnacles, housing compasses and voice pipes for relaying orders to the Wheelhouse below, stand in the centre of the relatively austere Bridge. A plotting table used by the Navigating Officer is located on the port side. Large windows look out over the yacht's bow and to the port and starboard bridge wings.
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| The captain's chair. The yacht's captain was the only man on the bridge permitted to sit while on duty. |
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The telephone control box, with switches to allow Bridge watchkeeping officers to contact various parts of the ship, such as the Charthouse, the Gyro Compass Room, the Steering Gear Compartment, the Engine Room, and the Emergency Conning Position.
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| The panel controlling the yacht's stabilisers, retractable hull-mounted underwater fins used to decrease the roll of the ship in heavy seas. |
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Looking out over Britannia's bow from the windows on the ship's Bridge.
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The Charthouse located immediately aft of the Bridge. It was here that the Navigating Officer stored all charts and maps required for a cruise and where he plotted out the course Britannia would take to reach her destination.
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HMY Britannia's foremast, with the radar scanners. Behind the Bridge and Charthouse is the Signal Deck, with halyards connected to the foremast used to communicate with other vessels via signal flag. Given the wide variety of destinations visited by HMY Britannia, the vessel carried an average of 2,000 different flags.
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Looking aft along the port side of HMY Britannia from the bridge wing. Hanging from the davits on Shelter Deck can be seen one of the yacht's Jolly Boats (foreground) and a Fast Motor Launch (background). The yellow mainmast (middle of photo) was the effective dividing line between crew accommodations and those sections of the yacht devoted to the Royal Family. Crew quarters were located forward of the mainmast, while the Royal Apartments used by the Royal Family were located aft of the mainmast. A garage on Shelter Deck was used to transport the Queen's Rolls-Royce Phantom V for State visits abroad or a Land Rover for shore excursions during the Royal Family's annual Western Isles holiday cruises off Scotland; in later years, with suitable vehicles available overseas, the Rolls-Royce was rarely loaded onto Britannia, with the garage instead being used as a beer storage locker.
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A closer look at one of the yacht's Fast Motor Launches, used by the crew to run errands in port, ferry goods and non-Royal personnel ashore, and escort the Royal Barge when carrying The Queen and other members of the Royal Family. HMY Britannia carried a total of 10 boats, plus 18 life rafts, more than a major warship.
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| Portraits of two of HMY Britannia's commanding officers, Rear Admiral Sir Joseph Henley, KCVO, CB (Flag Officer Royal Yacht, 1962-1965), and Rear Admiral Sir Patrick Morgan, KCVO, CB, DSC (Flag Officer Royal Yacht, 1965-1970) |
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| The Admiral's Suite, the most spacious and comfortable onboard accommodations other than those enjoyed by the Royal Family. The Admiral's Suite comprises a day cabin (seen here), with a sofa and armchairs from the former Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert III, a sleeping cabin, and an en suite bathroom. The day cabin was used for working, entertaining, and sometimes eating meals, though when the Royal Family was aboard it was customary for Britannia's commanding officer to dine with them in the State Dining Room. |
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| A view of the Admiral's sleeping cabin, as seen from his en suite bathroom. The sycamore-veneered wardrobes in the Admiral's sleeping cabin held his various uniforms and, depending on his duties, the Admiral could be expected to change wardrobe up to 12 times in a single day. |
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| The pantry located next to the Admiral's Suite, where meals would be plated and delivered to him at his dining table. |
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A view of the landing and corridor through the officers' accommodations, aft of the Admiral's Suite, which was nicknamed the 'Whispering Gallery' by officers on account of the need to maintain quiet around their captain. The less spacious junior officers' cabins were located one deck below.
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A modest but comfortable cabin for one of Britannia's senior officers, which doubled as an office. The beds in the officers' cabins converted into sofas for use as seating during the day. While the Admiral commanding Britannia enjoyed a private en suite bathroom, the yacht's other officers had to share toilet and washing facilities.
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Looking aft along the Verandah Deck from the starboard side. Although used by the Royal Family for rest and relaxation while cruising at sea, the Verandah Deck was also used to host receptions while conducting port visits abroad and was where the yacht's assembled Royal Marine Band would play when entering harbour on official State visits. As HMY Britannia had been built with the ability to be converted into a hospital ship in wartime, the Verandah Deck was also reinforced to serve as a landing pad for casualty evacuation helicopters, though this was never put to the test.
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The Quarter Deck, with the ensign staff flying the Royal Navy's White Ensign flag.
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The wide open expanse of the teak-planked Verandah Deck. It was here that the Royal Family could relax, enjoying the sun or playing a game of quoits or deck hockey. Younger members of the Royal Family could enjoy a collapsible canvas pool set up by crewmen in warm weather.
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HMY Britannia's bell, hanging on the Verandah Deck. The Royal Coat of Arms hangs over the bell, and was originally mounted on a previous Royal Yacht, Victoria & Albert II, which served between 1855 and 1901.
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The Sun Lounge was The Queen's favourite room aboard Britannia, offering a relaxed and casual atmosphere and providing stunning views out over the Verandah Deck via the full-length picture windows running the width of the room. Comfortable furnishings, including rattan chairs and teak loungers, are complemented by cleverly-concealed cabinets used to accommodate a bar and storage for a record player, board games, and puzzles. The Queen and her family enjoyed many afternoon teas served in the Sun Lounge. Note the white-painted foot of the yacht's angled mizzenmast protruding through the centre of the Sun Lounge.
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Teak wall panelling, simple wooden furniture, fresh flowers, and casual seating lent the Sun Lounge the feel of a relaxing cottage.
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The phone in the Sun Lounge. Like the other phones located throughout the yacht, it is identical to those used in Buckingham Palace, and provided direct switches to various parts of the ship, such as the Royal Pantry, the Admiral's Day Cabin, the Wardroom, and the Orderly and Equerries' Rooms.
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The Duke of Edinburgh's painting easel stands in the corner next to a table with family photographs and fresh flowers. A map of the sea approaches to Hong Kong is mounted in a cabinet on the wall. The drinks refrigerator is concealed behind a hatch depicting a line drawing of a previous Royal Yacht.
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The drinks cabinet in the Sun Lounge is concealed by a fold-down wall panel. A refrigerated compartment on the left, concealed by a hatch in the teak wall panelling, kept the Royal Family's refreshments nicely chilled.
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The Vestibule outside the Royal Bedroom suites on the Shelter Deck, with a view down the Grand Staircase to the State Rooms located below on Upper Deck.
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An elevator permitted an alternative means of moving between the Royal Bedrooms on the Shelter Deck and the State Rooms located on Upper Deck, below.
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The Vestibule located between The Queen's and Prince Philip's bedrooms on the starboard side and the Honeymoon Suite on the port side. A total of four bedrooms were located on the Shelter Deck. A large skylight overhead bathed the Vestibule in natural light. Wardrobe rooms used to store The Queen's clothes, jewellery, and accessories, as well as The Duke of Edinburgh's uniforms and decorations, were also located on the Shelter Deck.
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A panoramic shot of The Queen's Bedroom, with a single bed, small desk, and a dressing table/vanity. There is an en suite bathroom with a bathtub. A buzzer next to the bed allowed The Queen to call a cabin steward at any time of the day or night for something to eat or drink. A door at the forward end of the room connects to Prince Philip's adjoining bedroom. The windows of the Shelter Deck bedrooms were located higher up to prevent crewmen walking on the deck outside from glancinginto the bedrooms.
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A closer look at The Queen's modest bed, outfitted with linens originally used on Britannia's predecessor, Victoria & Albert III. The embroidered floral print above the bed was commissioned by The Queen in 1953 to be a reminder of home wherever she was in the world, and features hedgerows, wildflowers, and butterflies by British designer Joan Nicholson stitched on ivory French silk. It took several embroiderers at London's Royal School of Needlework months to complete.
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The Duke's Bedroom, located adjacent and just forward of The Queen's Bedroom, and with its own separate en suite bathroom. Prince Philip selected a darker tone of wood furnishings for a more masculine look, and specifically requested no lace borders on his pillows. His bed sheets were also slightly smaller than those used on The Queen's bed, as Prince Philip preferred a smaller turnback. As in The Queen's Bedroom, a buzzer next to The Duke's bed could be used to summon a cabin steward, day or night.
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The only double bed aboard HMY Britannia is found here in the Honeymoon Suite. This cabin, comprising two bedrooms, was likely first used in 1954 by Prince Charles and Princess Anne when they voyaged to Malta aboard Britannia to be reunited with their parents. In subsequent years, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, and Prince Andrew each stayed in this cabin with their respective spouses during honeymoon cruises aboard the yacht. Two and three decks below the Shelter Deck, on Main Deck and Lower Deck, are 16 additional cabins, each with en suite bathrooms, used by other members of the Royal Family, their guests, and staff of the Royal Household.
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Looking aft on the port side of Britannia's Upper Deck. Painting, polishing brass and woodwork, and scrubbing the teak decking were never-ending tasks for the crew of 220 Royal Yachtsmen, but even today HMY Britannia remains in immaculate condition for a vessel nearly 70 years old. To ensure peace and quiet for the Royal Family, the Royal Yachtsmen used hand signals instead of shouted orders, wore soft-soled shoes, and were required to complete any work near the Royal Apartments by no later than 8:00am.
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A lateral passageway outside the Officers' Wardroom on Upper Deck. Notwithstanding the carefully-planned daily schedule, if deviations from the schedule were urgently required, a crewman would race around Britannia posting new orders on the 'red hot' notice boards distributed throughout the ship. It was incumbent upon the crew to keep an eye out for these notices and ensure they were aware of what they needed to do in response.
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A wooden board showing the location of the yacht's officers, either 'aboard' or 'ashore'. Before disembarking, each officer would move his respective slider to the appropriate position indicating his whereabouts.
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The Officers' Wardroom Anteroom, with comfortable chairs, bookshelves, settees, and an electric fireplace. It was here, and in the adjacent Wardroom, that Britannia's 21 officers would relax and dine when off duty, listening to the radio, enjoying drinks, and participating in quizzes and other games. Amongst the many souvenirs and mementos mounted on the wall of the Wardroom Anteroom is a framed gold button from the uniform of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, gifted to Britannia from the officers of the former Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert III. A small wooden toy monkey was brought aboard Britannia by an officer during a 1957 Royal visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, and it subsequently was deemed unlucky for the monkey to be spotted in the same place two days in a row; as a result, the officers made it a point to move the monkey around to a different location in the Wardroom Anteroom each day. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, or other members of the Royal Family, would sometimes be invited by the officers for dinner or drinks in the Wardroom.
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The bar in the Officers' Wardroom Anteroom, from which pre-dinner drinks would be served. A portrait of The Queen's father, King George VI, hangs behind the bar and a glass display case holds an ornate silver salt cellar in the shape of a sailing ship, reputed to have belonged to the last Czar of Russia.
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The Officers' Wardroom, located adjacent to the Wardroom Anteroom. Formality was observed by the yacht's officers when dining, with each wearing 'Red Sea Rig', comprising white shirt, black trousers, black patent leather shoes, and a cummerbund. Dinners were always served with fine wines from Britannia's impressive onboard wine cellar, and finished with the loyal toast to the monarch, followed by the playing of God Save the Queen if the Royal Marine Band was present. An amusing speech by the 'Youngest Unheard Officer' was also an occasional feature following dinner.
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A display of silver punch bowls, vases, and other tableware gifted to HMY Britannia over the years. The bowl on the top shelf is the Pegasus Bowl, featuring flying horse handles and depictions of four previous Royal Yachts, presented to the Wardroom by the officers of HMY Victoria & Albert III. The Wardroom and the Wardroom Anteroom contain a number of such cabinets filled with 19th and 20th century objects from previous Royal Yachts and gifts from officers who served aboard Britannia during her 44 year service life.
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Looking down a service passageway on Upper Deck. The yacht's three galleys are located on the left and right and comprise a galley in which meals for the ship's company were prepared, a galley in which the officers' meals were prepared, and a Royal galley used to prepare meals for the Royal Family and Royal Household. The Queen's meals were always prepared by Buckingham Palace chefs flown out to Britannia. While Britannia's cold rooms could store a two month supply of meat and fish, and the dairy and vegetable storage rooms a one-month supply, fresh bread was baked daily. Given the large number of guests hosted aboard Britannia for receptions or dinners, the galleys were capable of preparing a vast quantity of food using equipment like the Admiralty ovens capable of simultaneously roasting 100 chickens and the four-tiered steamer that could prepare 200 puddings at a time.
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The China and Glass Pantry, where the Minton and Spode china services and glassware used for State receptions and dinners in the State Dining Room was stored. Each item of tableware had its own specially-designed compartment, hook, or rack to hold it. Many items of glassware used by the Royal Family and their guests dated back to the early 1900s, and all glassware is engraved with the Royal cypher.
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The Silver Pantry, where cutlery, candelabras, bowls, pitchers, and other silver tableware used during State receptions and dinners was stored. Much of the silverware dates to the reign of Edward VII (1901-1910) and was polished every day by stewards.
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The Royal Cold Larder, used to store refrigerated items, including jellies for the Royal children; as such, this room was nicknamed the 'Jelly Room'.
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| The State Dining Room, which played host to hundreds of official banquets over Britannia's 44 year service life and saw the likes of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, and Boris Yeltsin as dinner guests. The State Dining Room was originally outfitted with a 32-seat mahogany table composed of five sections to allow for different configurations to be used, as appropriate. For larger banquets, two additional tables originally from the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert III would be added. Four 19th century wooden sideboards, also from Victoria & Albert III, were also originally installed in this room. (All of the original furnishings in the State Dining Room are now on public display in The Britannia Room at Frogmore House, Windsor Castle.) Today, the State Dining Room can be hired for private dinners and receptions for up to 96 guests, with Britannia hosting about 80 such events per year. |
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| Arranging the place settings in the State Dining Room for an official banquet for 56 people could take up to three hours, with each item of cutlery and china placed on the table with a ruler to ensure absolute precision. The centrepiece of the table was a gold sculpture of two camel, a gift to The Queen from the ruler of Dubai in 1979 and said to be the single most valuable item aboard Britannia. |
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The walls of the State Dining Room are adorned with exotic gifts to members of the Royal Family from their various visits aboard Britannia to the Commonwealth and other nations. Depicted here is a sompoton, a mouth organ made from bamboo pipes and a gourd, presented to The Duke of Edinburgh on a visit to the Malaysian state of Sabah in 1989.
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A luncheon place setting used by Queen Elizabeth II aboard Britannia on 6 February 1997, during which she was served spinach and cottage cheese roulade with a sun-dried tomato and hazelnut dressing, fillet of salmon Gallieni, watercress sauce, salad, and butterscotch profiteroles. Flanking the menu card are two examples of Programme of Music cards, indicating the musical pieces to be played during formal banquets or receptions aboard Britannia.
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A collection of ceremonial items, including an ivory-topped mace, gifted to The Duke of Edinburgh during a 1989 visit to the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Another interesting memento gifted to The Queen and now displayed in the State Dining Room is a carved wooden shark from Pitcairn Island in 1971, which includes the names of all adults living on the island, each one a descendant of Fletcher Christian, leader of the infamous mutiny on the Bounty.
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Woomera, arrows, and boomerangs gifted to The Queen during a visit to Australia in 1956 are just a few of the many cultural items gifted to the Royal Family and displayed in the State Dining Room aboard Britannia.
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Another view of the State Dining Room. The far wall contains folding panels which could be opened up to create a screen on which to project films, and the State Dining Room was also used for Sunday church services for the Royal Family and the yacht's crew. A sword dating from 1738 and gifted to The Queen by the Swedish Navy can be seen mounted on the far wall, as can a 2-metre long whale bone found by Prince Philip on Deception Island in the South Atlantic and a narwhal tusk gifted by the Prime Minister of Canada. Although the carpet in the State Dining Room could be rolled back to reveal a wooden dance floor, it is believed that this was only ever done once, when celebrating Princess Anne's upcoming 21st birthday on 2 August 1971.
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The Queen's Sitting Room, located on the starboard side of the yacht, aft of the State Dining Room. The Queen would spend several hours every day in this room, sitting at her green leather-topped desk reading and signing official papers brought to her in the famous red government boxes, as well as meeting with her Private and Press Secretaries. The sofa and upholstered armchair were originally installed aboard two previous vessels used by the Royal Family for long-distance journeys: the battleship HMS Vanguard and the Shaw Savill Line steamship SS Gothic. The four wheat sheaf-themed lighting sconces in The Queen's Sitting Room were also originally on SS Gothic, which had been outfitted for the Coronation Tour of 1953.
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| The Duke's Sitting Room, located on the port side of the yacht, aft of the State Dining Room and directly across from The Queen's Sitting Room. Preferring to call it a 'study', Prince Philip would read, write letters, and hold meetings with staff here, and this room was also used as a work space by Prince Charles when travelling aboard Britannia. The furnishings and teak panelled walls are more masculine in appearance, with a dark wood desk topped with red leather and a display case built into the wall containing a model of Prince Philip's only naval command, HMS Magpie, a Black Swan-class sloop which he captained as a Lieutenant-Commander from 1950 to 1952. The Duke's Sitting Room was connected to The Queen's Sitting Room via telephone, and each sitting room was also connected to the offices of The Queen's and Prince Philip's respective Private Secretaries, located one deck below. |
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| Located just aft of The Queen's and Duke's Sitting Rooms is the Grand Staircase, which connects the Upper Deck State Rooms with the Royal Bedroom suites on the Shelter Deck above. |
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| Another view of the sweeping Grand Staircase. Descending the Grand Staircase, members of the Royal Family would proceed into the Anteroom and the State Drawing Room, used both for recreation and for entertaining foreign dignitaries during official State visits. |
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| The Anteroom, where members of the Royal Family would gather for drinks before lunch or dinner. Most of the furnishings in the Anteroom were gifts from the Swedish Royal Family during a State visit to Stockholm by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956. |
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| A notable piece of furniture in the Anteroom is the mahogany bookshelf and sideboard, originally installed in the King's Study aboard the previous Royal Yacht, Victoria & Albert III. The bookshelf was well stocked with James Bond novels but also held a set of Waterford crystal glasses and a tray gifted to the ship by its builder, John Brown & Company. |
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The State Drawing Room, the main reception room aboard Britannia. The State Drawing Room is separated from the Anteroom by folding mahogany doors that, when opened fully, permitted the combined space of the Drawing Room and Anteroom to be used for large receptions. A Welmar grand piano is bolted to the deck on the starboard side of the room and was played by members of the Royal Family or, when hosting official receptions, by a member of the ship's Royal Marine Band. Silver-grey carpet runs the entire length of the Royal Apartments, and the State Drawing Room features two large Persian rugs similar to ones presented to The Queen on a visit to the Gulf States in 1979.
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The modest and comfortable furnishings in the State Drawing Room are reminiscent of a county house and reflect the Royal Family's use of this space for conversation, music, and games. Several card tables in the room were used to play games of bridge, whist, or poker, or by younger members of the Royal Family to play board games or assemble jigsaw puzzles. A television was housed in a specially-designed cabinet that blended in with the rest of the decor. Although a wood-burning fireplace was originally requested for the State Drawing Room, Royal Navy regulations in 1953 requiring a sailor to be present at all times with a bucket of water made this impractical; instead, an electric fireplace was installed under the mantle at the aft end of the room.
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Large doors lead out to the starboard open-air promenade on Upper Deck, which runs the length of the yacht. When boarding or disembarking from Britannia, members of the Royal Family would typically proceed through these doors, or the identical set on the port side, to the Royal Apartments.
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The Upper Deck's open promenade on Britannia's port side. The windows on the right look into the Duke's Sitting Room and the State Dining Room.
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Looking aft on the port side from a gangway leading onto HMY Britannia. When in service, Britannia's gangways never exceeded 12 degrees in slope, for the comfort of The Queen, Prince Philip, and other members of the Royal Family.
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The Petty Officers' and Royal Marines Sergeants' Mess. An invitation to have a drink in this mess was highly sought after by members of the Royal Household staff who accompanied the Royal Family aboard Britannia.
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The bar in the Petty Officers' and Royal Marines Sergeants' Mess, called the Verge Inn and reminiscent of a small country pub.
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Located adjacent to their mess, the Petty Officers and Royal Marines Sergeants slept in relatively cramped conditions, with six bunks and lockers seen in this compartment.
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The Royal Marines Barracks, as the sleeping accommodations for Britannia's 26 Royal Marines bandsmen and five-strong Royal Marines Detachment were known. In addition to the bunks crammed into this space, the lockers had to store the bandsmen's musical instruments, uniforms, and other personal belongings. The contingent from the Royal Marines Band Service were renowned for their musical performances and superb parade drill. The five Royal Marines comprising the yacht's Royal Marine Detachment were responsible for security, including providing sentries at gangways while Britannia was docked and conducting regular clearance dives under the ship to check for anything suspicious.
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A diorama depicting Royal Marines bandsmen practicing in their mess, located far forward in Britannia so as to avoid disturbing the Royal Family in the Royal Apartments located further aft. The yacht's band was required to play a wide selection of music, from the national anthems of nations Britannia was visiting on a particular cruise to marches, hymns, and light background music for receptions and State dinners.
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A passageway adjacent to the Royal Marines Mess, near Britannia's bow.
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The Warrant Officers' and Chief Petty Officers' Mess, a place for HMY Britannia's most senior non-commissioned officers to relax and enjoy a drink. Like the other messes aboard Britannia, the walls in the Warrant Officers' and Chief Petty Officers' Mess are adorned with signed photos of the Royal Family. Two alcoves built into the walls originally housed busts of famous British sea captains Sir Francis Drake and Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.
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| During the Royal Family's annual Western Isles holiday cruises off the west coast of Scotland, The Queen and other members of her family would sometimes be invited for drinks in the Warrant Officers' and Chief Petty Officers' mess. |
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The Mail Office, which allowed Britannia's crewmen to keep in touch with family and friends back home. When onboard, The Queen's mail was flown or shipped out to Britannia from London every day. Mail from the crew was then collected and sent back to the UK, along with The Queen's correspondence, via the Buckingham Palace Court Postmaster, also on a daily basis.
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Heading aft along a starboard side passageway outside the Warrant Officers' and Chief Petty Officers' Mess.
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The Operating Theatre in Britannia's Sick Bay. As the Royal Yacht was originally designed to be convertible into a hospital ship during wartime, plans were made to accommodate up to 200 patients in wards located in the aft part of the ship where the Royal Apartments were situated. A dental surgery, anaesthetic rooms, X-ray equipment, and a pathology laboratory would also have been fitted out in Britannia within 24 hours of the order to re-role as a hospital ship. By 1992, it was deemed that Britannia was no longer a practicable emergency hospital ship for the modern Royal Navy, and this requirement for conversion was dropped.
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The Doctor's Consulting Room. The ship's doctor, who also tended to be a trained anaesthetist, looked after the medical needs of Britannia's officers and crewmen, while a personal Royal Navy surgeon accompanied The Queen on all overseas trips. The Sick Bay accommodations located adjacent to the Consulting Room has cot-beds for two patients and a bench seat that converts into two additional bunks for patients.
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HMY Britannia's Laundry, a disproportionately large facility for the ship's size. The sheer size of the Laundry reflected Britannia's original secondary role as a wartime hospital ship (which would have required enormous quantities of fresh linens and bandages), as well as the huge variety of different uniforms used by the yacht's 21 officers and 220 crewmen, who could be expected to change up to six times each day when on Royal duty. As such, the washing machines, dryers, and steam presses were in operation 24 hours a day, with the Laundry manned by its own dedicated crew. As the Laundry operated on a no-profit/no-loss basis, crewmen were charged 6 pence per shirt and 22 pence for a suit to be cleaned.
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Washing machines capable of handling 40 pounds of laundry at a time sit behind a value-sized box of detergent. Up to 600 shirts could be washed, dried, and pressed each day, and the Laundry could be a hellish place to work, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). In addition to handling the crew's laundry, the Royal Family's laundry was also cleaned here, though separately to avoid any mix-ups.
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| Large gallery windows now provide a view of Britannia's immaculate Engine Room. |
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Despite having steamed 1,087,623 nautical miles (2,014,278 kilometres) over her 44-year service life, Britannia's engines were maintained in pristine condition, and the Engine Room looks as clean and polished as the day the ship entered service. Interestingly, some of the distilling units installed aboard Britannia to produce potable water came from the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth (1914-1948).
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HMY Britannia's turbines were fed with steam generated by two Foster Wheeler 'D' Type boilers fuelled by furnace oil and, after 1983, by diesel. The turbines were connected to two gearboxes which drove the yacht's two 30-metre long propeller shafts, each sporting a single four-bladed propeller. Three turbo-steam generators produced electricity for Britannia's lighting and domestic needs, with emergency backup power supplied by a diesel generator originally installed in the V-class submarine HMS Vampire (1943-1950).
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The Certificate of Class issued by Lloyd's Register of Shipping, showing the ship's builder and dimensions and certifying that HMY Britannia and her machinery have been built under the special survey of Lloyd's surveyors. The certificate was signed 13 April 1954.
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The certificate, signed by Queen Elizabeth II, marking HMY Britannia's one millionth mile sailed, on Friday, 25 February 1994. The one millionth mile was reached in the vicinity of 18 degrees 46 minutes north latitude by 84 degrees 45 minutes west longitude, or off the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula due west of the Cayman Islands, at 2:00pm. Britannia had been in service for forty years when this milestone was achieved.
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A door leading into Britannia's Boiler Room. The polished brass plaque notes that this door is not to be opened except in an emergency, by order of the yacht's Chief Engineer, known as Commander (E).
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A Junior Rates messdeck on Lower Deck, in which 30 Royal Yachtsmen slept. In total, 150 Royal Yachtsmen slept in this and similar messes on this deck. Each of these messes featured a small area with a television and coffee/tea-making facilities, where the men could relax. Junior Rates could also enjoy a beer in their mess once off duty, though they were restricted to a maximum of three cans per day.
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Housed in a former Lower Deck mess aboard Britannia is a permanent exhibition on Royal Sailing, telling the story of the Royal Family's long passion for yacht racing and the numerous sailing yachts owned by the Royals over the decades.
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A display case exhibits an original crew sweater from the Royal Yacht Bloodhound, built in 1936 and owned by the Royal Family between 1962 and 1969. The severely dilapidated Bloodhound was restored between 2003 and 2007 and purchased by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in January 2010. Today, Bloodhound can be seen moored adjacent to Britannia, except each July and August when she sails to Oban and is available to be chartered for day cruises around the Western Isles of Scotland. The display case also holds a small framed photo of Prince Philip racing Bloodhound at Cowes in 1962, as well as Prince Philip's personal racing pennant, featuring a white castle, which flew on Bloodhound.
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A display on the famous Cowes Week Regatta and profiles of several notable Royal racing yachts.
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A Lower Deck lavatory for the Royal Yachtsmen crewing Britannia. This space contains sinks and showers.
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The 40 foot (12.5 metre) Royal Barge was used to convey members of the Royal Family ashore from HMY Britannia in locations where the yacht could not dock. A climate-controlled cabin ensured the comfort of the Royals and the windows allowed the Royals to be seen by assembled crowds. When The Queen was aboard the Royal Barge, she was accompanied by the Barge Officer and a crew of five Royal Yachtsmen from Britannia. This Royal Barge was used to convey The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, and The Duchess of Cornwall up the Thames during The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June 2012, being escorted by Britannia's two Fast Motor Launches. All three vessels were crewed by former Royal Yachtsmen, and it was the first time the Royal Family had sailed on the Barge since the decommissioning of Britannia in 1997.
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The Royal Barge was built by Camper Nicholson in 1964 to replace an earlier Barge originally carried by Britannia's predecessor HMY Victoria & Albert III. Powered by two 125-horsepower engines giving a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h), the Royal Barge was always escorted by one of Britannia's Fast Motor Launches when ferrying members of the Royal Family.
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HMY Britannia - Specifications
Tonnage: 5,769 gross tons
Length: 126 metres (412 feet)
Beam: 17 metres (55 feet)
Draught: 4.6 metres (15 feet)
Propulsion: 2 x Pametrada steam turbines producing 12,000 horsepower
Maximum speed: 22 knots (40.7 km/h)
Crusing speed: 14 knots (25.9 km/h)
Range: 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km)
Boats carried: 10 + 18 life rafts
Complement: 21 officers, 220 Royal Yachtsmen (including one platoon of Royal Marines)