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.
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
HMY Britannia moored at Ocean Terminal, a shopping centre in the Edinburgh suburb of Leith. |
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. |
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. |
Boarding HMY Britannia at the level of the Bridge, the first stop on the self-guided tour. |
Looking into Britannia's surprisingly small Bridge. |
The captain's chair. The yacht's captain was the only man on the bridge permitted to sit while on duty. |
The panel controlling the yacht's stabilisers, retractable hull-mounted underwater fins used to decrease the roll of the ship in heavy seas. |
Looking out over Britannia's bow from the windows on the ship's Bridge.
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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. |
The Quarter Deck, with the ensign staff flying the Royal Navy's White Ensign flag.
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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 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 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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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. |
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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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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A passageway adjacent to the Royal Marines Mess, near Britannia's bow.
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Heading aft along a starboard side passageway outside the Warrant Officers' and Chief Petty Officers' Mess.
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Large gallery windows now provide a view of Britannia's immaculate Engine Room. |
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 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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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)