royal yacht 45

Secrets of the Royal Yacht Britannia

Town & Country took a tour of the famous vessel which served the royal family for more than 40 years and has reopened as a tourist attraction.

Wondering about the royal family's yacht as you watch this season of The Crown ? In light of its appearance on the Netflix series, we're resurfacing this story from 2021 :

While plans to build a successor to boost Britain’s trade continue to attract criticism, Britannia is once again attracting hordes of visitors after being forced to close because of COVID-19. And it’s no surprise, because from being able to look right into the Queen’s bedroom to learning about what life was like for the up to 220 yachtsmen on board, this is a boat with some fascinating stories to tell.

Town & Country went aboard to learn the secrets of this much-loved vessel. Here’s our pick of the best royal tales.

The ship was altered with royal skirts in mind.

Many photographs of the Royal Yacht Britannia show the family waving from the Royal Bridge as the vessel departed from or arrived at its destination. And the bow of the ship was specially adapted to make sure these public moments did not reveal more than was intended. “The curved teak windbreak was a later feature, added for modesty’s sake, to prevent sea breezes from lifting royal skirts,” visitors to Britannia are told.

It was a struggle to get the royal car on board.

When the 412-ft yacht was built in 1953, it was considered important that it had a garage to house the Queen’s Rolls Royce. However, getting the car on board was no easy feat. “First, the car, in its transporter, had to be hoisted onto the special track that is fitted into the deck. Even then, it could only be squeezed into the Garage by removing its bumpers,” Britannia’s guide notes. Thankfully, in later years the Queen usually traveled in a car from the country she was visiting which meant that the garage was eventually used as a beer store.

Britannia was designed to avoid any peeking into the royal bedrooms.

Now, visitors to Britannia get a full view of the Queen and Prince Philip’s (separate) bedrooms, albeit through glass. However, when the ship was in use it was important that no-one could peek into these rooms. Pointing out that the windows looking into these areas are “higher than anywhere else on the Yacht,” Britannia’s guide explains: “By placing them at this height above the deck, any accidental glimpses into the royal bedrooms could be prevented.”

There were lots of people on board—but not everyone traveled in style.

One of the most fascinating things about touring the yacht is looking into the living quarters—from the relatively luxurious rooms of the Queen and Prince Philip and the ship’s Admiral, to the officers’ comfortable sitting room and dining room, to the approximately 220 yachtsmen who lived, slept, and worked, as the guide describes “in fairly cramped conditions.” Tourists are told: “Britannia was a ship in which hierarchy was strongly defined.” And there were plenty of people to accommodate. Some 45 working members of the royal household accompanied the Queen on her overseas visits.

The Queen favored neutrals while Philip liked darker colors.

As the yacht was build with their use in mind, the Queen and Prince Philip both had a say in the ship’s design and as such, it gives a some insight into their taste. The Queen’s (single) bed has a specially-commissioned embroidered silk panel above it, and her room is decorated in pale and neutral colors. By contrast, Philip’s room features vibrant maroon linen and curtains and, at his request, his pillows, unlike the Queen’s “do not have lace on the borders.”

There is only one double bed.

The honeymoon suite on the yacht is opposite the Queen and Philip’s bedrooms. “This is the only room on Britannia with a double bed which was brought on board by Prince Charles when he honeymooned on the Yacht with Princess Diana,” tourists are told. “When the Royal Children were small, this bedrooms and the adjoining room were used as nursery suites.”

The royal children liked to eat jelly on board.

Food on board Britannia was prepared in three galleys—one for the yachtsmen, one for the officers and one for the royal household. Buckingham Palace chefs were flown out to prepare royal food and there was a room that, according to Britannia’s guide, was known as the Jelly Room “for it was in here that the royal children’s jellies were stored.”

There is a dance floor that hasn’t been used for 50 years.

The largest room on Britannia is the State Dining Room where lavish banquets were held. It could also be used as a cinema room. “The silver-grey carpet could also be rolled up to expose a wooden dance floor beneath, although the last time this was used was for Princess Anne’s 21st birthday celebrations,” the guide notes.

Prince Philip kept a reminder of his naval career in his office.

Just like their separate bedrooms, the Queen and Philip had separate offices on board Britannia. Philip’s had a “specially designed display case,” the ship’s guide notes, in which he kept “a model of HMS Magpie, His Royal Highness’s first naval command.” The Duke of Edinburgh famously gave up his active naval career in 1951 to support his wife in her duties when King George VI’s health was ailing.

The ship was ready for stormy seas.

The royal family and their guests relaxed in the drawing room, which featured a grand piano. The instrument was played by members of the family and even some of their famous guests, including composer Noel Coward. “The Welmar baby grand piano cost £350 when it was supplied in 1952, and is firmly bolted to the deck to stop it taking off in choppy seas,” tourists are told.

Once the royal laundry turned blue.

Walking through the laundry at the end of the tour provides an insight into what was once a “hot and noisy environment.” Some 600 shirts could pass through the laundry in one day, with the royal family’s washing done on separate days to that of the crew. Britannia’s audio guide recounts “one occasion when the royal washing turned a delicate shade of blue, and Her Majesty’s Dresser was less than amused. The cause, it turned out, was a chemical reaction in the copper pipes, which was quickly remedied by adjusting the pH value of the water.”

For more information and to book tickets visit royalyachtbrittania.co.uk

Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures , released in 2021. 

@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1jdielu:before{margin:0.625rem 0.625rem 0;width:3.5rem;-webkit-filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);height:1.5rem;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-transform:scale(-1, 1);-moz-transform:scale(-1, 1);-ms-transform:scale(-1, 1);transform:scale(-1, 1);background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-1jdielu:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/townandcountrymag/static/images/diamond-header-design-element.80fb60e.svg);}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1jdielu:before{margin:0 0.625rem 0.25rem;}} Royal Family News @media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-128xfoy:before{margin:0.625rem 0.625rem 0;width:3.5rem;-webkit-filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);height:1.5rem;content:'';display:inline-block;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-128xfoy:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/townandcountrymag/static/images/diamond-header-design-element.80fb60e.svg);}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-128xfoy:before{margin:0 0.625rem 0.25rem;}}

King Charles Visits Southport

Meghan Markle's Final Colombia Engagement

Harry & Meghan Are Dancing Up a Storm in Colombia

Shop Meghan Markle's Colombia Outfits

Harry & Meghan's Colombia Trip, in Photos

Princess Lilibet Has Found Her Voice

Meghan Markle Speaks Spanish to School Children

See Meghan Markle Wearing Princess Diana's Jewelry

Royal History of Meghan's Cartier Nail Necklace

Meghan Markle Owns Two Versions of This Dress

Harry and Meghan Arrive in Colombia

Find anything you save across the site in your account

The Royal Yacht Britannia : A History of Queen Elizabeth II’s Favorite Palace

The christening of The Royal Yacht Britannia serves as a cheeky season opener to  The Crown . Black-and-white Pathé News–style footage shows a soon-to-be-crowned Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) cheered on by shipbuilders as she launches her new 412-foot yacht. “I hope that this brand-new vessel, like your brand-new queen, will prove to be dependable and constant. Capable of weathering any storm,” she says about the royal replacement for the  Victoria and Albert III . By the series’ season finale, set 44 years later, both the sovereign and the floating palace she christened  Britannia will have hit rough seas—the cost of repairing the creaky old vessel and the modern role of the monarchy both in question. Ultimately, the yacht that undertook 968 official voyages all over the world, hosting dignitaries—including 13 US presidents—at receptions and banquets, was dry-docked near Edinburgh, Scotland, where it continues to be a popular tourist attraction. Here are some of the most buoyant facts about the palace the Queen famously said was “the one place where I can truly relax.”

The sun room on the Royal Yacht Britannia as photographed in 1981. 

In a nod to the country’s post-war austerity, Elizabeth scaled back the design of the ship that her father, King George VI, had commissioned just two days before he died. Rather than following the opulent plan laid out by the Scottish firm McInnes Gardner & Partners, she opted for the understated elegance envisioned by architect Sir Hugh Casson, who described “running a lawn mower over the Louis XVIl adornments” in favor of simple white walls, lilac-gray carpeting, and “a bit of gilding in grand places.” Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip, were said to have personally chosen the furniture—much of it, including linens, recycled from the  Victoria and Albert —fabrics (florals, chintz, toile), and paintings. 

Prince Charles and Princess Diana on board the Royal Yacht Britannia as they prepare to depart on their honeymoon cruise in 1981.

As a former Royal Navy Commander, Prince Phillip also saw to the ship’s technical details, and his Bluebottle racing yacht inspired the Britannia ’s navy-hued hull. Outer decks were made of two-inch Burmese teak. The steering wheel was reclaimed from Britannia ’s namesake, King Edward VII’s 1893 racing yacht; a wheelhouse wheel came from George V’s racing yacht; and a gold-and-white binnacle (housing the ship’s compass) was salvaged from King George III’s yacht and installed on the Veranda deck. Fittings from former royal ships were also reused. 

The drawing room on the Royal Yacht Britannia as photographed in 1978. 

The 4,000-ton yacht had a crew of 220 Royal Yachtsmen who lived on board, about 45 household staff, and occasionally a 26-member Royal Marine embarked to entertain dignitaries. The monarch often welcomed guests from the ship’s grand staircase. (Stairs leading from the Veranda to the Royal deck were sometimes transformed into a water slide for the kids.)  Britannia ’s apartments were designed like those of a first-class ocean liner. A 56-seat state dining room, where many of the gifts given to the monarch (a wood-carved shark from Pitcairn Island, a bejeweled gold statue from Bangkok) were displayed, was the scene of formal dinners with guests such as Sir Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Mandela, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. More intimate gatherings were held in the Queen’s official reception room, a smaller state drawing room with floral upholstered pieces, simple wood tables, an electric fireplace, and a Welmar baby grand piano bolted to the deck—played by everyone from Sir Noël Coward to Princesses Diana and Margaret. The teak-clad sun lounge, with rattan furniture and a toile loveseat, was Elizabeth’s favorite place—where she had her breakfast, afternoon tea, and also enjoyed her favorite Dubonnet and gin cocktails.

The Queen’s sitting room on the Royal Yacht Britannia as photographed in 1981. 

A ship elevator reserved for royal use moved between the Upper and Shelter Decks. The latter is where four Royal Apartments (bedrooms), including the Queen and Prince Phillip’s connecting compartments, were located. Hers featured florals, his had red accents. Elizabeth’s understated Upper Deck private sitting room, done in pastels and neutrals, served as the office where she conducted state business. Phillip used his sitting room, with its wood desk facing a model of his first command, the HMS Magpie , as his study. Below deck there was a wine cellar, as well as a cargo hold that could carry a barge, speed- and sailboats, plus a royal Range Rover and Rolls-Royce. The yacht could also be converted into a hospital (though it never was).

The Queen shed a tear at the decommissioning ceremony for thye Royal Yacht Britannia.

As depicted in  The Crown, Britannia ’s final official trip was to Hong Kong in 1997, where Prince Charles attended the handover of the territory to China. By then, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s administration was complaining that the £11 million a year needed to keep the boat afloat couldn’t be justified. With Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, and all of their children in attendance,  Britannia was decommissioned at a ceremony in Portsmouth, England on December 11, 1997, with the monarch seen wiping away a tear. The yacht, now docked in Leith, Scotland, is open to the public as a museum and events space. (Prior to their wedding, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips’s daughter Zara Phillips and her fiancé Mike Tindall had a celebration there.) Visitors will note that every clock on board reads 3:01, the exact time the Queen disembarked her beloved  Britannia for the final time on that December day.

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Boating Safety
• Ultimate Boat Giveaway

A New Royal Yacht Is Coming

• By Phil Draper
• January 7, 2022

There are yachts, and there are superyachts, but royal yachts tend to be something else again. The United Kingdom hasn’t had a royal yacht for almost 25 years, but the British government just announced its intention to replace Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia .

No firm details have been released of what this replacement could be, but design proposals were recently invited. Time is of the essence, given that the official policy statement came with a proposed launch date just three years away.

The open brief suggests that what is needed now is less yacht, more national ship—a world-first build. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he sees the vessel as more of a floating embassy to support royals and government ministers alike.

That concept is broadly familiar. During its 44-year service life as a ship of state, Britannia racked up more than 1 million nautical miles and 696 foreign visits. Every itinerary was about promoting the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and trade promotion was always a part of the job description. For instance, Britannia made several trips to the United States, including both coasts and Chicago via the St. Lawrence Seaway. Various presidents and their wives were guests aboard, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

But what defines a royal yacht?

It’s not just about scale, although the eight-deck, all-steel Britannia was one of the biggest yachts in the world when it launched. It was built at Scotland’s John Brown and Co. of Clydebank, the same yard that built the ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Mary . Britannia entered service in January 1954, one year after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Her late husband, Prince Philip, was a former naval officer and enthusiastically oversaw Britannia’s specification and construction.

The yacht, beyond its routine duties, could rapidly convert to a 200-bed hospital ship or an offshore refuge for the royal family in case of nuclear war. Britannia is 412 feet length overall, has a 55-foot beam and measures 5,862 gross tons. Thanks to two turbine sets producing up to 12,000 hp, Britannia was capable of a continuous 21 knots throughout its service years.

Those were the days when a yacht of that size was unusual: There are now almost 30 giga-yachts afloat with more gross tonnage than Britannia . Only a quarter of them have any obvious royal affiliations.

But in its day, Britannia was an operation to behold. The yacht was home to 21 officers and 256 sailors of the British Royal Navy and could host functions with 250 guests. The staterooms and staff quarters were aft, and the crew were forward. The yacht’s complement included a Royal Marines guard detachment in separate onboard barracks, a 26-strong military band, and a full general surgery team with an operating theater. The permanent noncommissioned crew were known affectionately as the “yotties.”

Britannia was where the most senior members of the royal family stayed when on suitable official visits. It was not where they would normally spend vacations, although Prince Charles and Princess Diana famously used Britannia for a honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. They had the yacht’s only double bed installed aboard.

As for Britannia’s successor, various sources have quoted ballpark figures for the build in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. The final specification will depend on how much space is practical for conference and entertainment areas, the number of guest staterooms, the crew complement, helicopter use, tenders, provisions, technology, and security. Johnson also says he wants the vessel to incorporate cutting-edge green technologies and showcase best practices with regard to sustainability.

The new yacht is expected to have a service life of at least 30 years. Given that trillions of dollars’ worth of trade deals were reportedly secured aboard Britannia , the cost for that lifespan is not expected to be a concern.

Construction could start as early as next year, following consultations with the royal family, the Royal Navy and various government departments. The vessel will officially be the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and classified as if it were a warship.

Floating History

Now retired, royal yacht Britannia lies permanently in Edinburgh, Scotland. This vessel has been one of the Scottish capital’s most popular tourist draws for more than 25 years. It is open daily and sees more than 1,000 visitors a day. Guided tours take in all areas, including a view into the queen’s bedroom, private sitting rooms, state dining room and drawing rooms, sun lounge and veranda, bridge, crew decks, and engine room.

The First Royal Yacht

The wooden wheel aboard Britannia came from the only other royal yacht to bear the name, the much older 122-foot gaff-rigged cutter Britannia . Built for Prince Albert Edward, who later became King Edward VII, it was famously campaigned at big-boat

regattas by him and his son, King George V. The yacht launched in spring 1893 and was a near-sister to Valkyrie II , which unsuccessfully challenged the Nathanael Greene Herreshoff-built Vigilant for the America’s Cup that same year. Both Valkyrie II and Britannia

were designed by George Lennox Watson and built at the D&W Henderson Shipyard in Scotland. Following George V’s death and per his wishes, the vessel was stripped of its spars and fitting, and scuttled in deep water off England’s South Coast on July 10, 1936.

• More: November 2021 , Yachts
• More Yachts

Azimut Launches the Fly 62

Sunseeker Predator 75 Reviewed

Meet the Emissions-Free Colombo 25 Super Indios E

Offshore Fishing Boats and Insurance Prices

For Sale: Hargrave 96 Skylounge

Reflections on Offshore Sailing

For Sale: Outer Reef 720

For Sale: Prestige 620 Fly

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

What will the new royal yacht look like?

When the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997 as a cost-cutting measure by the British government, not everyone was ready to say farewell. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now confirmed that a new royal yacht will be operational by 2026, with design plans due to be released around the time of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee . According to Johnson, the royal yacht will sail around the world hosting trade negotiations as part of Britain's post-Brexit plans – but what will it look like? We pitched the idea to six teams of designers...

Project Albion

Team members : Steve Gresham, Fiona Diamond, Mike Fisher, Mike Brandy, Jarkko Jamsen and James Kandsch

The design : Project Albion is a 140 metre, three-masted sailing yacht with telescopic wing sails that allow the rig to concertina into itself when at anchor or cruising under power. High-profile guests stepping aboard can make use of its two helidecks: one retractable landing pad on the starboard side that doubles as an exhibition space, and another on the bow with a helicopter hangar beneath. Alternatively, there's a hydrogen-powered royal limousine tender named Lillibet (the Queen’s familial nickname)

Star features : At the heart of the yacht sits a grand, double-height ballroom for royal gatherings. Two-storey structural glass windows on either side offer sweeping sea views –  the perfect backdrop to any royal occasion.

“Project Albion is a modern, forward-thinking sailing yacht, incorporating green features and technology, whilst maintaining a sense of grandeur and tradition”  – Fiona Diamond

Stateship Britannia

Team members : Tim Gosling, Luiz de Basto, Bart de Haan, Jerry Lakeman, Luca Scarsella

The design : The Stateship Britannia is a striking 202 metre motor yacht designed to function as a floating embassy. Split into three spaces – public, shared and private – royal yacht is able to host large-scale, international events but also serves as a private residence for royals on board. There’s a helicopter hangar that converts into an emergency hospital, which in light of recent events won't go amiss, while the portholes are deliberately positioned to read ‘2020’ in morse code, marking the year as the beginning of a new era for the royal family.

Star features : A Union Jack-printed glass funnel houses wind turbines with vertical rotors that assist the yacht’s hydrogen propulsion system.

“We want a yacht that stands out and cannot be confused with any other multi-million pound boat. It’s something different”  – Luiz de Basto

Royal Red Diamond

Team members : Frank Neubelt, Theodoros Fotiadis, Guido de Groot, Enrique Tintore, Carl Sorenson

The design : A seven-deck modern-classic with a conservative design that reflects the tradition and values of the royal family. Measuring 140 metres, Royal Red Diamond features a Neptune lounge, two helipads, a duplex royal stateroom and a swimming pool that sits between the two funnels. The motor yacht will be powered by twin Rolls Royce 5,500hp diesel-electric engines.

Star feature : A grand atrium with an imperial staircase sits aft, enclosed by structural glass, and doubles as a gallery and exhibition space.

“It’s a seven-deck world cruiser with a modern-classic style to reflect the conservative ethos of the royal house”  – Frank Neubelt

Team members : Daniel Nerhagen, Guglielmo Carrozzo, Willem Jan Kuipers, Claudio Zimarino

The design : Royal Lion takes its inspiration from the famous Cutty Sark clipper, a merchant sailing ship that used to bring tea back to Britain from China in the 1800s – with a few upgrades of course. A 180 metre sailing yacht requires some serious sail power, which comes in the form of 24 solar sails housed in four DynaRig masts, allowing the royal yacht to reach 17 to 18 knots.

Star features : A platform that opens from the transom can be used as a touch-and-go helipad for royal visits and also doubles as a party platform for state functions and social occasions.

“Royal Lion can store solar energy through the sails into high capacity batteries, which can be used for the hotel load or for manoeuvrability when coming in to port”  – Claudio Zimarino

Britannia As A Rule

Team members : Michele Dragoni, Bart Bouwhuis, Wayne Parker, Aristotelis Betsis, Kriss Hogg

The design : This modern eco-yacht is designed to be carbon neutral for a new era of eco-savvy royals. Among its credentials are solar panels, turbine tubes and a nuclear power plant by Rolls Royce. In their downtime, the royal family can make use of the yacht's electric Jet Skis, electric helicopter and there's even an electric Land Rover Defender for trips ashore. Other highlights include a dedicated "palace deck" with a royal stateroom and a helicopter hangar on the foredeck.

Star features : For those boarding the yacht via the aft, sliding glass doors on the transom open to reveal one large indoor-outdoor exhibition space.

“It’s a floating showcase of all that’s great about Great Britain”  – Bart Bouwhuis

Project Winston

Team members : Andrew Winch, Gabriel Gabie, Jenny Skoog, Sally Storey, Alejandro Hahn

The design : With the Union Jack plastered across three DynaRig masts, there’s no confusion as to which family this royal yacht belongs to. Project Winston takes its design cues from three great British symbols: the hull is inspired by an Aston Martin, the upper deck by a crown, and the sails by the Union Jack. Elsewhere, sitting proudly on the bow is a figurehead of a British bulldog, while a bejewelled royal balcony is the perfect spot from which to wave-off the evening's guests.

Star features : The sails feature an integrated LED system that showcases the Union Jack on one side and act as a virtual billboard on the other to promote the best of Britain wherever it goes.

“Greta Thunberg has already agreed to come on board”  – Jenny Skoog

More stories

Most recent, from our partners, sponsored listings.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Has a Fascinating History—Here's Everything You Should Know

It doesn't get more majestic than Queen Elizabeth II's yacht.

“Britannia is special for a number of reasons,” Prince Phillip once said. “Almost every previous sovereign has been responsible for building a church, a castle, a palace or just a house. The only comparable structure in the present reign is Britannia. As such she is a splendid example of contemporary British design and technology.”

Although she retired from service in 1997, today the Britannia, one of many of the world's grandest yachts , is docked in Edinburgh, where she is open as a visitors’ attraction and host of private events. Below we give you all the Royal Yacht Britannia facts you might want to know, from who owns the yacht now to why she was decommissioned to how fast she is to how to get tickets to visit. Britannia was, after all, the one place the queen said she could “truly relax,” so why not see why for yourself?

Royal Yacht Britania Facts and History

On February 4, 1952, John Brown & Co shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, received the order from the Admiralty to build a new Royal Yacht to travel the globe and double as a hospital ship in times of war, according to the royal yacht's website . King George VI passed away two days after, sadly, and so on April 16, 1953, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II announced the yacht’s new name as the ship was revealed.

"I name this ship Britannia,” she said. “I wish success to her and all who sail in her." Britannia was commissioned into the Royal Navy in January 1954 and by April of that year sailed into her first overseas port: Grand Harbour, Malta.

The queen and The Duke of Edinburgh worked with interior designer Sir Hugh Casson for the ship to serve as both a functional Royal Navy vessel and an elegant royal residence. Queen Elizabeth II selected deep blue for Britannia’s hull, instead of the more traditional black. Its Naval crew included 220 Yachtsmen, 20 officers, and three season officers—plus a Royal Marines Band of 26 men during Royal Tours.

All of them might have had to change uniform up to six times a day, so the laundry service on board worked nonstop. The yacht also engaged in British overseas trade missions known as Sea Days and made an estimated £3 billion for the Exchequer between 1991 and 1995 alone.

The ship’s wheel was taken from King Edward VII’s racing yacht, also named Britannia, according to Boat International , and the 126-meter ship could reach speeds of 22.75 knots, or a seagoing cruising speed of 21 knots, according to Super Yacht Times . Other fun facts: The yacht could produce her own fresh water from sea water, and shouting was forbidden aboard to preserve tranquility, favoring hand signals for Naval orders instead.

Over the next 44 years, the Britannia would sail the equivalent of once around the world for each year, in total visiting 600 ports in 135 countries. Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones were the first of four couples to honeymoon on the ship in 1960, gifting them all privacy to sail to secluded locations. Prince Charles and Princess Diana followed in 1981 on the Mediterranean as well as Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips before them in 1973 in the Caribbean and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986 in the Azores.

For family vacations aboard the ship, games, treasure hunts, plays, and picnics were organized, and on warm days the children could play in an inflatable paddling pool on the Verandah Deck.

In the Sun Lounge, the queen especially enjoyed taking breakfast and afternoon tea with views through large picture windows, a space you can see replicated in the TV show The Crown. Although no filming took place on board the Britannia for the show, researchers ensured scenes aboard it were accurate. In the queen’s bedroom, the resemblance is seen down to the decorative wall light fittings and embroidered silk panel above her bed that had been specially commissioned.

In 1997, the ship was decommissioned after the government decided the costs to refit it would be too great. On its final day in her service that followed a farewell tour around the U.K., the queen openly wept as the Band of HM Royal Marines played "Highland Cathedral."

"Looking back over 44 years we can all reflect with pride and gratitude upon this great ship which has served the country, the Royal Navy and my family with such distinction," Queen Elizabeth II said. All clocks on the ship stopped at 15:01, the exact time the Queen disembarked from the yacht for the final time, and they would remain at that time until the present.

How to Tour the Royal Yacht Britania

Today the yacht is owned by Royal Yacht Britannia Trus t, and all revenue it generates goes to the yacht’s maintenance and preservation. Ticketed entry allows you to step into state rooms like the Sun Lounge, the State Dining Room and State Drawing Room, in addition to the working side of the ship in the Crew’s Quarters, Laundry and gleaming Engine Room. Along the way you will see original artifacts from the shop—95 percent of which is on loan from The Royal Collection.

How to Visit the Royal Britania

You can visit the Britannia any day of the year on Edinburgh’s waterfront. Hours vary by season, and you can find them listed and purchase tickets on the yacht’s website . Private tours are also available, and you can visit the Royal Deck Tearoom, where the Royal Family hosted cocktail parties and receptions, for drinks, meals and scones. Additionally, the Britannia hosts special ticketed events for New Year’s and other occasions, and event spaces can be booked as well.

While you are in Edinburgh, you can also stay on the Fingal , a neighboring yacht-turned-floating-hotel, which is a seven-minute walk from the Britannia, and dine at its Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar, which serves breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner, and cocktails.

An Insider’s Guide to Italy’s Aeolian Islands

How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Casablanca

The 18 Best Beaches in Hawaii

13 Renowned Paris Historical Landmarks

The 31 Most Haunted Places in America

11 Best Beaches in Maine

The 25 Most Beautiful Places in Europe

How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Amsterdam

The 11 Best Islands in Greece to Visit

Stunning Vintage Photos of Montauk

Why Lodi Might Just Be the New Napa

I visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, the royal family's luxurious private cruise ship known as a 'floating palace.' Take a look inside.

• The Royal Yacht Britannia was the royal family's private yacht from 1953 to 1997.
• The ship is now a museum open to the public in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• The tour shows the Queen's bedroom, state rooms used for entertaining, and crew bunks.

The Royal Yacht Britannia was the royal family's private yacht from 1953 to 1997.

With its many royal family vacations and official tours, the yacht logged over 1 million miles , the equivalent of one trip around the world for each of its 44 years at sea.

The Queen once said that "Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax."

The Labour government decommissioned the ship in 1997 due to its high operation cost of £11 million each year, Reuters reported . That's equivalent to about $23 million today.

At the decommissioning ceremony, the Queen  shed a rare public tear .

The ship has made several appearances in Netflix's "The Crown," including season five .

The yacht is now a museum open to the public in Edinburgh, Scotland.

On a recent trip to Scotland , I booked a ticket for the Royal Yacht Britannia museum, which costs £18.50 ($23) for adults.

The entrance is located inside the Ocean Terminal shopping center in Edinburgh.

Before boarding the yacht, visitors walk through a museum detailing the boat's history and connection to the royal family.

The five-story ship was a royal residence as well as a Royal Navy ship, with a full-time staff of more than 240 royal yachtsmen and officers.

The museum displays photos of the royal family's life aboard the ship, as well as items like crew uniforms.

Then, a walkway with more photos leads to the deck of the boat.

The ship is docked on the water just outside the shopping center.

I listened to the audio tour of the ship on my phone by scanning a QR code.

There were also separate listening devices available.

Each room of the ship had a number that you could type in and press "play" to hear about your surroundings in an array of languages.

The first stop was the bridge, the main control point of the yacht.

In this small space, officers navigated the seas and recorded data in the ship's logbooks.

Outside, the flag deck is the highest point on the ship.

Britannia had three masts, and different flags were used to communicate with other ships on the water.

The admiral's cabin and suite is the most spacious on the ship, aside from the royal apartments.

The admiral's accommodations featured a day room, bedroom, bathroom, and pantry. The sofa and armchairs in the dayroom are over 100 years old and came from the previous royal yacht, Victoria and Albert III.

The royal family often sunbathed, played deck hockey, or swam in a collapsible swimming pool on the Veranda Deck.

Part of the yacht's royal quarters, the deck was also used for receptions and group photos.

Prince Philip occasionally set up his easel on the deck to paint.

Overlooking the Veranda Deck, the Sun Lounge was one of the Queen's favorite rooms on the ship.

Queen Elizabeth would often take her breakfast and afternoon tea in the Sun Lounge.

The Queen's bedroom on the Royal Yacht Britannia featured bed linens that once belonged to Queen Victoria.

The embroidered silk panel above the Queen's bed, commissioned in 1953, cost £450 ($560, or $6,250 in today's money).

Her sheets were embossed with "HM The Queen."

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had separate bedrooms connected by an adjoining door.

Each room had its own bathroom.

Philip's bedroom featured red linens, and he requested pillowcases without lace trim.

A button next to each of their beds would summon a royal steward.

Across the hall, the Honeymoon Suite was the only room onboard with a double bed.

The double bed was requested by then-Prince Charles when he honeymooned with Princess Diana in 1981.

The room was also used as a nursery when the royal children were young.

The Anteroom served as a recreational space for the officers, off-limits to the rest of the crew.

Officers would spend their time here listening to the radio and playing board games.

The royal family occasionally dined in the adjoining Wardroom.

Britannia's 19 officers ate meals here, accompanied by the Royal Marines Band.

Britannia has three galleys, which are still working kitchens today.

The galleys prepare food for the Royal Deck Tea Room and events hosted on the ship.

The Royal Deck Tea Room offers an extensive menu of soups, sandwiches, scones, and other treats for visitors to the museum.

The royal family once used the space to entertain guests and play deck games.

The state dining room is the largest room on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, and many other world leaders dined here with the royal family.

The placement of each utensil was measured with a ruler.

Just off the state dining room, the Queen's sitting room served as her office.

Here, the Queen would meet with her press secretaries and prepare for royal visits.

On the opposite side of the hall, the Duke of Edinburgh had his own sitting room.

Both Philip and Charles used the room as a study. Philip kept a model of his first naval command, the HMS Magpie, above his desk.

The telephones connecting the sitting rooms to each other and their private secretaries' offices are identical to the phones used in Buckingham Palace.

The large Drawing Room and connecting Anteroom could accommodate up to 250 guests.

The Drawing Room featured an electric fireplace and cozy floral furniture. When it wasn't being used as a reception space during formal events, the royal family used it to relax and play games on the card tables.

Petty officers and Royal Marine sergeants kicked back in their living quarters, also known as the mess.

Petty officers would occasionally entertain the Queen and other royal family members here.

The crew bunks weren't as glamorous as the royal apartments.

Each bunk folded up into a seat, and crew members stored their possessions in lockers.

Britannia's NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) shop sold souvenirs and sweets, as well as essentials like toothpaste.

Diana once bought Prince William a Britannia souvenir shirt from the shop. Today, it sells homemade fudge to museum guests.

The ship's sick bay and operating theater still feature the original furnishings from the 1950s.

The ship's doctor attended to crew members, while the Queen's royal surgeon traveled with her on voyages.

Britannia's laundry room could reach temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit as it washed up to 600 shirts in one day.

The royal family's laundry was done on different days than the crew's laundry.

All of the clocks onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia are stopped at 3:01 p.m.

The clocks are frozen at the  time the Queen stepped off the ship for the last time  during its decommissioning ceremony in December 1997.

The tour concludes in a gift shop full of royal souvenirs.

Amid the Britannia-themed mugs, pens, and aprons, the gift shop also sold replicas of royal jewelry.

There's even a photo-op at the end of the tour where you can practice your royal wave.

The tour was full of surprising facts about royal life and travels, and I couldn't believe that we actually got to see inside Queen Elizabeth's bedroom on the ship. It's definitely worth a visit.

• Main content

• Top Attractions
• Monuments and Tourist attractions

Royal Yacht Britannia

The Queen and the Royal Family’s vessel for over 44 years , the Royal Yacht Britannia has become one of the most famous yachts in the world.

A long life

Britannia was launched in Scotland in 1953 and, since then, has served the Royal Family on 968 official voyages , travelling over one million miles, stopping at 600 ports and in over 135 countries .

The Queen felt at home when she travelled on the vessel and the photos of her children and grandchildren still hang on the walls of the Britannia , as well as various personal items and gifts that were given to the family on their travels around the world.

Throughout its 44 years of service, Britannia has been a residence for official receptions, banquets, and State visits . For these events, 45 members of the royal household would climb on board with 5 tons of luggage.

In 1997, after over 40 years of service, the vessel was decommissioned and is now berthed at Leith Port where curious visitors can explore the majestic Britannia.

The visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia begins in the Visitor Centre found on the second floor of the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre . In this centre, you’ll be able to discover the vessel’s past through numerous photographs.

Before visiting the Royal Yacht, you'll be given an English audio guide with all the details of the vessel.

Beginning with a visit to Britannia’s Bridge , visitors will also explore the State Apartments , the Crew’s Quarters, and finish at the Engine Room .

Although the Queen’s chambers are very plainly decorated, other parts of the vessel are extremely lavish, like the Rolls Royce that sits permanently in the vessel’s garage.   

A ship like no other

Even if you're not passionate about boats, wandering through the Royal Yacht Britannia’s rooms will satisfy any inquiries about the Queen and the Royal Family you might have . Information such as who slept in what room, how many people worked on board, what visitors were invited to visit the Britannia and the countries it has visited, make for an entertaining tour.

Ocean Terminal.

From January to March: Open daily: 10 am – 5 pm From April to October: Open daily: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm November and December: Open daily: 10 am – 5 pm

Adults: £ 18 ( US$ 23) Students: £ 16 ( US$ 20.50) Children (aged 5 – 17): £ 9 ( US$ 11.50) Children under 5: free entry

Buses: Ocean Terminal , 11, 22 or 35.

Nearby places

Royal Botanic Garden (2.7 km) Calton Hill (3 km) Scottish National Portrait Gallery (3.1 km) Palace of Holyroodhouse (3.2 km) Scottish Parliament (3.3 km)

You may also be interested in

Scott Monument

At 200 feet (61 meters) tall, the Scott Monument is the largest monument in the world dedicated to a writer.

Georgian House

The Georgian House, built in 1796, is a house-museum located on No 7 Charlotte Square. It shows how the wealthiest residents of the New Town lived.

Honeymoons and holidays - How much do you know about the Royal Yacht Britannia?

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on the Royal Britannia. Getty

The Royal Yacht Britannia served the Queen for 44 years from its launch on April 16th, 1953 until it was decommissioned in 1997.

Editor's note: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch passed away on Sept 8, 2022, aged 96. Now, BHT takes a look back at some of the most popular stories which arose during her 70-year reign. 

It seemed very fitting that, just as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was celebrating becoming the longest-serving monarch in British history, I should be visiting one of her most faithful and loyal servants. 

The Britannia was actually commissioned by the Queen’s father, King George VI. Sadly, he died on February 6, 1952, just two days after the order to build a new Royal Yacht had been given to John Brown & Company in Clydebank. This meant, however, that the Queen was given the opportunity to play an important role in the design and fitting out of the ship to reflect the personal tastes of Her Majesty and Prince Phillip.

The Royal Yacht has been described as two ships in one, with the operational side of the ship, where the naval personnel lived and worked, in the area forward of the mainmast, and the Royal Apartments occupying the rear.

• Footage of Queen Elizabeth II in Ethiopia in 1965
• The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
• Incredible footage of the Queen addressing Westminster

Yet, if Britannia was thought of as two ships it also served a dual purpose. The Royal Yacht has been described by the Queen as the place where she could “truly relax.” The Queen had said that “Britannia is to be at times the home of my husband and myself and of our family.” This was achieved partly in the understated design of the Royal apartments and also by the use of personal photographs and items from previous Royal Yachts, all giving a country house atmosphere to the whole experience.

Royal Yacht

In addition to being a home for the family, however, it also had a diplomatic role, serving as a base for state visits and later for trade missions. Indeed, the State Dining Room, the grandest room onboard, was the scene of numerous formal banquets involving many illustrious guests, ranging from Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher to Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Mandela, and Yeltsin, who were all entertained there. Very few people, of whatever nationality, ever refused an invitation to dine on Britannia .

Even though being on board Britannia allowed Her Majesty to relax, she was still faced with affairs of state, and would spend several hours each day working on official documents, ferried to wherever the Royal Yacht was in the world in their distinctive red dispatch boxes. The Queen’s sitting room on the ship was also her office. Prince Phillip had his own sitting room, a much more masculine design, although he referred to it as his study.

JONATHAN EASTLAND/ALAMY

How many bedrooms are on the ship?

The Queen’s bedroom and Prince Philip’s have a connecting door and both had buzzers by the bed so that they could summon a steward at any time. Each room had a bathroom, equipped with a thermometer so that the Royal bath water was always at the correct temperature.

Although both bedrooms are quite modestly decorated and fitted out, Her Majesty’s bedroom, described as having “floral charm,” included a silk panel, specially commissioned in 1953, above her bed. Prince Philip’s, as one might expect from a former Navy officer, was finished in darker timber, again giving it a slightly more masculine look.

There are two further bedrooms on the Shelter deck, including one known informally as the honeymoon suite which houses the only double bed on board. Four newly married Royal couples have used the room; Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong Jones in 1960, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson in 1986.

Just along from the Royal bedrooms is the Verandah Deck, which also served a dual function as a leisure area for the family or a reception area during official visits. Among its furnishings is an impressive binnacle—a receptacle for a compass. The binnacle, originally carved from a single piece of teak, was one of several items rescued by Prince Philip from the previous Royal Yacht, Victoria & Albert III , having originally been part of Queen Victoria’s yacht, Royal George . Beside the Verandah Deck is the Sun Lounge, described as the Queen’s favorite room, a place where Her Majesty could really relax with the family, take tea or perhaps enjoy a drink.

PRESSELECT/ALAMY

Britannia carried a crew of 21 officers and 220 yachtsmen (known as “yotties”), who were required to carry out their duties in a way that allowed Her Majesty to relax completely. This regime, known as “unobtrusive excellence,” meant that most orders were given using sign language and crew members wore sneakers to further minimize noise.

In Britannia ’s ambassadorial role, during its working life, the ship made more than 700 visits to countries in the British Commonwealth and across the world. Nevertheless, it was difficult in the modern world to justify the existence of a Royal Yacht.

In 1994, the decision was finally taken to decommission Britannia . Just three years later the British Government announced that it would not be replaced. It was decided, however, that unlike its predecessors, the yacht would not be scuttled, but would go on show as a tourist attraction at a location to be decided. There was stiff competition to host the Royal Yacht, but the port of Leith, near Edinburgh, was successful.

The decommissioning of Britannia in Portsmouth on December 11, 1997, was an emotional moment for all concerned, with Her Majesty, Prince Philip and members of the crew all striving to keep their feelings in check.

Her Majesty’s loss has been the public’s gain, presenting a unique opportunity to get a fascinating glimpse of the life of the Royal family and their relationship with this amazing ship.

* Originally published in March 2016.

BHT newsletter

You may also like.

• Most Recent

Facts about Queen Elizabeth II y...

Did you know these facts about Queen Elizabeth?

From castle to minster - soaking...

Jim Corbett visits York and discovers more than enough to entertain...

WATCH: When King Charles read th...

Before becoming King of England, did his Majesty find his calling a...

The Cornish pasty - a pastry del...

Pride in the Cornish pasty runs deep throughout Cornwall, so much s...

The history of Queen Victoria's ...

It was Queen Victora's summer home, but what else do we need to kno...

Aberdulais Falls - Where the wat...

How Aberdulais,  in South Wales weathered a 400-year navigation of ...

In love with the Great British o...

Terrific adventures await in our green and pleasant land, says Dana...

How the Royal Family and the Ken...

The Royal Family and the Kennedys are more similar than you think!

WATCH: 1952 British Pathé Prince...

On the Proclamation Day of Queen Elizabeth, this incredible footage...

The day King Edward VIII announc...

On Dec 11, 1936, King Edward VIII addressed the British national, v...

Royal yacht: Government sunk £2.5m on successor to Royal Yacht Britannia before project was scuppered

Boris Johnson in 2021 announced plans for a new royal yacht as a successor to Britannia, but the project was given the chop around a month ago.

Political reporter

Thursday 8 December 2022 16:00, UK

The government sunk almost £2.5m into commissioning a new royal yacht before scuppering the project, Sky News can reveal.

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request found the Ministry of Defence (MoD) splashed £2,476,000 on the vessel, a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Announced in May 2021 by Boris Johnson and set to be named after the Duke of Edinburgh, the plans were cut adrift last month .

It was paid for by the MoD .

John Healey, Labour's shadow defence secretary, said the money was "blown" on a "Tory vanity project".

A breakdown of the spending obtained by Sky News shows that £648,000 was spent on crown servant and military staff costs.

Some £348,000 was spent on workforce replacement costs.

More on Ministry Of Defence

First UK military spy satellite launched that captures daytime images of Earth's surface

Agnes Wanjiru: Renewed hope for justice for family of Kenyan mother allegedly murdered by British soldier

New defence review will be completed in 'less than a year', defence secretary says

Related Topics:

• Ministry of Defence

Around £40,000 was spent on operating and admin costs, and £809,000 was spent on private sector support.

The government racked up £476,000 in consultancy fees, and £110,000 in branding and digital media costs.

It is not unusual for unrealised projects to cost a lot of money - the garden bridge commissioned by Mr Johnson when he was London mayor cost the taxpayer tens of millions before it too was scrapped.

An MoD spokesperson said: "The initial phase of the National Flagship programme delivered significant value to the maritime industry that will be fundamental to the future success of the British shipbuilding pipeline.

"There are multiple costs involved in commencing a credible, rapid commercial competition, including internal and external staff costs, consultancy spend and private sector support.

"However, as threats continue to evolve it is right that we prioritise delivering capabilities which safeguard national infrastructure."

Mr Healey said: "The Conservatives have blown millions on a Tory vanity project at a time when threats are increasing, and they are cutting the size of our armed forces.

"The scale of waste in the defence department is unacceptable. Ministers are failing British troops and British taxpayers.

"A Labour government would get to grips with these deep-seated problems from day one.

"We would commission the NAO to conduct an across-the-board audit of MoD waste and make the MoD the first department subject to our new Office for Value for Money's new tough spending regime."

All of the vendors were approached for comment, but most either declined to comment or did not reply.

A spokesman for the Royal Institute of British Architects did get back to Sky News, saying: "The MoD contracted RIBA for the provision of specialist architectural services and support related to the design of the National Flagship project."

Related Topics

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

• British Royal Family
• British Royal Family History

What to Know About the Royal Yacht Britannia Featured on 'The Crown' Season 5

The Royal Yacht Britannia served as the official royal yacht of the British monarchy for 44 years

The Crown is diving into royal events from the '90s in season 5 , and that includes the decommissioning of Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, also known as the Royal Yacht Britannia.

In the first episode of the new season, Claire Foy ( who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1 and 2) reprises her role as the monarch as a flashback shows the yacht's official launch in April 1953.

At the time, the new yacht held special significance as it was launched by the Queen just before her own coronation in June 1953 .

Through the years, the vessel sailed over 1,000,000 nautical miles on 968 state visits with the royal family as they entertained prime ministers and presidents, per the Royal Yacht Britannia website. It also served as the venue for several royal honeymoons , including Princess Diana and Princes Charles in 1981 .

From when it was commissioned to where the Royal Yacht Britannia is now, here's everything to know about the royal yacht.

When was the Royal Yacht Britannia commissioned?

As shown on The Crown , Royal Yacht Britannia was officially launched on April 16, 1953 , at the shipyard of John Brown & Co. Ltd in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, where Queen Elizabeth unveiled the yacht's official name.

Following Queen Elizabeth 's coronation on June 2, 1953, the Royal Yacht Britannia was commissioned into the Royal Navy on January 11, 1954, before sailing her first overseas port on April 22.

How big is the Royal Yacht Britannia?

The Royal Yacht Britannia is about 412 feet long , with a beam width of 55 feet and five decks , and weighs over 4,000 tons.

Who used the Royal Yacht Britannia?

The yacht was described as the royal family's "floating residence" during its 44 years of service. As it was used to host "magnificent state receptions and banquets, and guests ," numerous world leaders boarded the yacht over the years, including Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan and Rajiv Gandhi.

Per the Royal Yacht Britannia website, the yacht also " allowed the Royal Family some rare privacy away from their public duties and was famously described by HM Queen Elizabeth II as 'the one place I can truly relax.' "

Furthermore, the Royal Yacht Britannia was the venue of four royal honeymoons : Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. All four royal marriages ended in divorce, which Queen Elizabeth famously reflected on in her 1992 speech where she referred to the past year as her "annus horribilis ," or horrible year.

When was the Royal Yacht Britannia decommissioned?

The yacht's retirement was announced in 1994 as a result of the substantial costs needed to repair the ship. It was estimated that the cost would £17 million, which would only prolong the yacht for another five years.

On December 11, 1997, the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned during an official ceremony that was attended by most of the senior members of the royal family. It was been reported that Queen Elizabeth was seen uncharacteristically shedding a tear during the decommissioning.

"Looking back over 44 years we can all reflect with pride and gratitude upon this great ship which has served the country, the Royal Navy and my family with such distinction," the Queen said at the time .

Where is the Royal Yacht Britannia now?

Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, people can now visit the Royal Yacht Britannia at Port of Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland. Visitors are able to see various parts of the yacht including Britannia's five decks, the state apartments, as well as the Sun Lounge, which was the Queen's favorite room in which to have her afternoon tea.

Does the Royal Yacht Britannia have a successor?

Plans for a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia first began in 2019 when it was reported that the late Sir Donald Gosling had donated £50 million to pay for the construction . In 2021, the yacht was commissioned by Boris Johnson to host trade fairs and diplomatic events and it was expected to go into service in 2024 or 2025.

However, in November 2022, it was reported by BBC that plans for the yacht were being scrapped as the government "searches for spending cuts." The new yacht was estimated to cost up to £250 million.

Related Articles

VALK ROYAL 45 similar search results:

FEADSHIP VAN LENT

LINSSEN GRAND STURDY 470

MULDER FAVORITE SUPERIEUR 54

The valk royal 45 shown below has been sold:, valk royal 45.

Sales information

• De Valk Loosdrecht The Netherlands
• +31 35 582 90 30
• Call the broker

e-mail the broker

Tell a friend.

• download brochure

Take time onboard with a live video tour

Seen a boat that piques your interest but can't make a visit in person? One of our brokers will be your eyes and ears as they take you on a video tour with their phone. You can also ask them questions about anything that isn't visually obvious. Make the call and be welcomed aboard...

Download brochure

Broker's comments.

This Valk Royal 45 "Ardjuna 2" built by Wim van der Valk is equipped with two Perkins diesel engines, Cupa bow- and stern thruster, electric window blinds, double glazing in the front windows, central heating and floor heating. The boat is in excellent condition and fully painted in 2020, she is ready for a new season. Please contact us to make an appointment if you would like to see her.

General - VALK ROYAL 45

Accommodation

SUPER VAN CRAFT 1320

CLASSIC KOK CANOE STERN 16.50 'UIVER'

SUCCES TRAWLER 46

KOK KRUISER 1400 OK

VALKKRUISER VOYAGER DE LUXE 1500

PILOT WHALE 45

Royal Yachts That Are Beyond Lavish

Royals seem to have it all — multiple palaces and vacation homes, fabulous wardrobes, and lavish vacations in exotic locations. Royal families in some countries even have their own yachts.

As of this writing, Denmark, Holland, Norway, Morocco, and Monaco have working royal yachts. However, the royals of numerous other countries, including Great Britain, have enjoyed excursions on royal yachts of their own, some with interesting and extensive histories. A  1976 New York Times article revealed that the British royal family's former 412-foot impeccably maintained yacht, which was constructed for the late Queen Elizabeth II, was "to an ordinary yacht what Buckingham Palace is to the house next door."

From the high-end finishes and opulence galore to the wealth of amenities to experience on board, it's clear that an excursion on a royal yacht is like none other. From working royal yachts to those which have since been sold or decommissioned and placed on display for all to enjoy, these past and present yachts are beyond luxe.

Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia of Great Britain

The 400-foot-long, John Brown-designed " former floating palace " of the late Queen Elizabeth II was commissioned by King George VI in 1952. Following her father's death and her coronation, Elizabeth set sail on Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia in 1954. The queen was fond of the ship, which she once described as "the one place where I can truly relax." During Britannia's 40-plus year operation, it hosted several royal honeymoons, including that of King Charles III (then Prince Charles) and Princess Diana, and provided transportation for official royal visits. 

The luxurious yacht featured a drawing room, dining room, two sitting rooms, spacious crew accommodations, elevator, wine cellar, official reception room with fireplace and baby grand piano, and ornate staterooms with private bathrooms and dressing rooms.  The New York Times described the royal apartments as "[giving] way to the homey, patched elbow chic of an English country house, with flowered chintz slipcovers, family photographs, and rattan settees, interspersed with the occasional relic of Empire." And then there was the sun lounge, which was the queen's favorite space.

The Britannia's operating and maintenance costs eventually led to its decommissioning in 1997. These days, the yacht is stationed in Edinburgh for all to see — TripAdvisor gave the excursion the Travelers' Choice Best of the Best award in 2023.  Tickets include a self-guided audio tour and access to all five decks, which include the state apartments and sun lounge, while the Royal Deck Tearoom offers the opportunity to enjoy food and beverages aboard.

Azzam of Abu Dhabi

Following its April 2013 launch, the Azzam was the world's largest private yacht at 180 meters (about 591 feet) — only trumped in 2019 by the REV Ocean. Built by Lürssen Yachts for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the Abu Dhabi royal family, the Azzam's exterior was designed by Nauta, which aimed to make the vessel elegant, sleek, and fast — with a top speed of 33 knots. Nauta founder Mario Pedol described the four-year design process, said to have taken more than 4,000 workers at a cost of over $500 million, to Boat International as "challenging."

French designer Christophe Leoni was enlisted to bring classic French regal style to the ship's interior, including the finest crafted wood furniture veneered with mother-of-pearl inlays. The yacht's other unique features include 18 guest suites, a pool, a gym, and a practice space for golf.

The Azzam was built to accommodate 80 crew members and 36 guests and features a large main saloon, serving as the vessel's focal point. To ensure unobstructed views, it was designed without pillars and with windows extending the full height of the yacht. "It was quite a challenge to make this space with no pillars," Pedol admitted to the outlet, adding that the ceiling beams needed to be exactly 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) wide. And, to ensure the windows were completely stormproof, the thick glass was custom-engineered in Italy. Another cool feature? The saloon's chandelier was constructed to be quiet and avoid rattling, not an easy feat for a yacht.

Prince Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia

The Saudi royal family owns the Prince Abdulaziz, a 147-meter (about 482-foot) superyacht — once the biggest yacht in the world. It was built in Denmark in 1984 and its exterior was designed by Maierform Maritime Technology GmbH. The Prince Abdulaziz was named after the son of the late Saudi Arabian King Fahd, who originally commissioned the yacht. The royal family uses the yacht both for official and recreational outings. 

Renowned British interior designer David Hicks, known for his use of contrasting contemporary and classic design and bold use of color and lighting, led the interior design and decor of this luxurious yacht, which took over a year to finish. The ship's truly opulent decor features grand chandeliers, intricate mosaic flooring, and the use of blues and golds throughout. It's no wonder the extravagant yacht is valued at $100 million. Interestingly, the yacht is just one owned by the royal family.

Foners of Spain

Foners, once known as Fortuna, is a motor yacht belonging to King Juan Carlos of Spain and accommodating up to eight guests and six crew members. The 45.5-meter (about 149-foot) yacht was built by Izar in 2000. At the time, it was known as the fastest superyacht in the world, reaching a speed of 65 knots. Donald L. Blount & Associates was responsible for the yacht's naval architecture. Studio Arch was enlisted for the exterior design, while the acclaimed Celeste Dell'Anna is credited with the interior design and decor.

Foners' interior highlights its large main saloon for dining and lounging, with its 46-inch TV and entertainment center. The interior's luxurious finishes include sycamore wood with stitched tan leather detailing. The four staterooms on board feature a luxurious primary suite, a VIP stateroom, and two twin-size staterooms, each equipped with an en-suite bath. A unique feature of the ship's design is that it's bulletproof, lined with Aramid fiber.

Back in 2013, the Spanish royal family decided to sell the yacht due to its high costs to maintain. However, the listing price has dropped multiple times over the years and, at least as of 2021, a buyer has not been found.

Her Majesty's Yacht Victoria and Albert II of Great Britain

Her Majesty's Yacht Victoria and Albert II is a historic yacht that belonged to the British royals during the 19th century. It was built and launched in 1855 at the HM Dockyard in Pembroke, England. In 1868, this well-used and enjoyed yacht underwent an extensive renovation and continued its regular operations until 1901. It was eventually dismantled in 1904.

Per the  Royal Collection Trust , Queen Victoria wanted the yacht to feel like a "home from home." Instead of going for the more ornate look, she wanted the Victoria and Albert II to be simple yet grand. Prince Albert was also said to have been involved with the design. Some rooms boasted maple walls while the dining saloon featured luxe red carpeting and sat 18 people. The queen herself once wrote, "It is indeed a most magnificent and enormous vessel. One feels quite lost in here!"

Stalca of Monaco

If you're a fan of Grace Kelly , you'll love this one. In 1971, the Stalca was commissioned and given to the Grimaldi royal family of Monaco for Prince Rainier and Princess Grace to enjoy. They used the yacht for vacationing and entertaining both their high society and Hollywood friends. The Stalca was named after the couple's three children: Prince Albert and Princesses Caroline and Stephanie.

The 24.6-meter (about 81-foot) classic motor yacht was built by Visch Holland. Stalca's four cabins, which can sleep eight people, include a lavish primary suite with an en-suite bathroom, a VIP suite also with a private bath, and two twin cabins with a shared bathroom. The main saloon is a large open space with a formal dining room and a relaxing lounge.

Though lovingly maintained over the years, the Stalca underwent a renovation in 2011, followed by another extensive renovation in 2016, which included new wiring, plumbing, and paint as well as other updates, while ensuring the vessel's historic and elegant interior was preserved. In 2019, the Stalca was sold to an unnamed buyer after being listed for €1.1 million.

Pacha III of Monaco

The Pacha III, completed in 1936, is a luxurious motor yacht constructed of aluminum. It was built by Camper & Nicholsons and designed by Charles E. Nicholson. Jacques Grange, however, was responsible for the interior design, which consists of a deck made of teak and a hull of steel. The Pacha III can accommodate seven crew members and nine guests.

In 1990, the yacht was purchased by Princess Caroline of Monaco and her late husband Stefano Casiraghi, who tragically died in a boating accident not long after. Perhaps as a distraction from her grief, the princess decided to carry out the renovations she and Stefano had planned. The deck was rebuilt in aluminum, and 2-meter-long (about 7-foot) stabilizers were added to the hull. Inside, Caroline removed the living room fireplace and transformed the radio room into a bathroom.

The interior of the hull was brought back to its former glory with exquisite materials including oak and mahogany. Cured handrails were added as well as paneled ceilings and marine lamps for a Victorian feel, though bright and colorful fabrics were included for pops of color. The ship features multiple spaces including a large saloon with double doors, summer lounge, luxurious primary suite, galley, wardroom, and crew cabins. As of this writing, the Pacha III continues to be enjoyed by the Monaco royal family and is often seen sailing throughout the Mediterranean.

Recommended

Royal Yachts

Targa 45 OPEN

DIESEL IPS600 D6-435, nudos 32. GRUPO ELECTROGENO (kw) TBC PLAZAS CAPACIDAD 4 – 5 TANQUE COMB (lts) 1300 TANQUE AGUA (lts) 400 MANGA (mts) 4.32

Galería de Imágenes

Camarote Principal

Configuración

Please Login to see Configuration details

• Range of boats
• Buying a yacht
• Selling a yacht
• Our services

 Valk - Royal 45

Current offer from this yard.

Already sold by sterkenburg yacht brokers.

Openinghours

• Family Notices
• Picture Sales
• Read the eEdition
• Sign-up to our newsletter
• Account Login

Moscow comes under one of largest Ukrainian drone attacks but destroys them all

Moscow came under one of the largest attacks yet by Ukrainian drones since the start of fighting in 2022, Russian authorities reported on Wednesday, saying they destroyed all of those headed towards the capital.

The drone attacks come as Ukrainian forces are continuing to push into Russia’s western Kursk region. In the past week, they have also struck three bridges, several airfields and an oil depot in a sign they are not letting up on their attacks.

He said strong defences around the capital made it possible to shoot down all the drones before they could hit their intended targets.

Russia said it downed 45 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 11 over the Moscow region. There was no independent information to verify those figures.

Some Russian social media channels shared videos of drones apparently being destroyed by air defence systems, which then set off car alarms.

While Ukraine has been bogged down in a land conflict in eastern Europe in which the Russians have been driving forward slowly at a heavy cost to both sides, both countries have been sending drones deep into each other’s territory.

Ukrainian drone strikes have brought the fight far from the front line into the heart of Russia, targeting the Russian capital and second city St Petersburg, and an airport in Western Russia, according to Russian officials.

Since the beginning of this year, Ukraine has stepped up aerial assaults on Russian soil, targeting refineries and oil terminals to slow down the Kremlin’s assault.

Priests from the Russian Orthodox Church held a prayer service for injured firefighters as dark plumes of smoke rose in the distance at the oil depot in Proletarsk, according to a photo shared on social media by the Volgodonsk diocese.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 69 drones and three missiles at Ukraine overnight, describing it as Russia’s biggest drone attack so far in August. Ukraine said its air defences shot them down and no casualties or destruction were reported.

The daring incursion into Russia has raised morale in Ukraine with its surprising success and changed the dynamic of the fighting.

But it is uncertain how long Ukraine will be able to hold the territory it has seized in Kursk.

It has also opened up another front in a fight where Ukrainian forces were already badly stretched.

The gains in Kursk come as Ukraine continues to lose ground in its eastern industrial region of Donbas.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said in its daily report late on Tuesday that the Ukrainians had made additional advances in their incursion, now in its third week.

The Russian state news agency Tass reported that 31 people had died since Ukraine’s attack on Russia began on August 6, citing an unnamed source in the medical service – figures which are impossible to verify.

Ukraine’s attacks on three bridges over the Seim River in Kursk, in areas it does not control, could potentially trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border.

Already they appear to be slowing down Russia’s response to the Kursk incursion.

Ukrainian forces appear to be striking Russian pontoon bridges and pontoon engineering equipment over the Seim in an area west of the Ukrainian advance point, the Washington think tank said.

Though few details are available, Ukraine appears to be actively seeking to hinder Russians from crossing the river.

Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed on Wednesday by The Associated Press showed a significant fire on the Seim near the village of Krasnooktyabrskoe.

The blaze appeared on the northern bank of the river on Tuesday, with another fire seemingly in the village itself.

Such fires are common after strikes and often signify where ongoing frontline combat is taking place.

Trending Stories

Sponsor’s floral hearse is denied appearance at battle, woman (74) gets probation order for biting daughter, chief minister proposes extension of uk legislation covering british citizenship, prisoner to serve longer term after attacking one inmate with broken plate and punching another repeatedly in the head, drag race winner and first-ever wedding at this year’s ci pride.

Four people who died in Bradford house fire named by police

What we know about the luxury yacht disaster off the Sicilian coast

Father-of-three left police officer fearing for life amid disorder

Bibby Stockholm coach driver ‘arrested for gesticulating at protesters’

Read the latest free supplements.

Read the Town Crier, Le Rocher and a whole host of other subjects like mortgage advice, business, cycling, travel and property.

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Putin rattled after Moscow ‘under attack from biggest ever drone strike’

Share this with

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Moscow came under one of the largest attacks yet by Ukrainian drones since the start of fighting in 2022, further rattling Vladimir Putin as he attempts to fight Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.

The Ministry of Defence claimed that Russia downed 45 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 11 destroyed over the Moscow region, 23 over the Bryansk region, six over Belgorod, three over Kaluga and two over Kursk.

Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel: ‘This was one of the biggest attempts of all time to attack Moscow using drones.’ 

He said strong defences around the capital made it possible to shoot down all the drones before they could hit their intended targets.

Some Russian social media channels shared videos of drones apparently being destroyed by air defence systems, which then set off car alarms.

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, reported a ‘mass’ attack on his region but that 23 drones were destroyed.

While Ukraine has been bogged down in a land conflict in eastern Europe in which the Russians have been driving forward slowly at a heavy cost to both sides, Kyiv has also been attacking Russia with drones.

Ukraine has targeted oil refineries and airfields in an attempt to weaken Russia’s fighting potential, and has also targeted the capital several times.

The drone attacks come as Ukrainian forces are continuing to push into Russia’s western Kursk region.

The daring incursion into Russia has raised morale in Ukraine with its surprising success and changed the dynamic of the fighting.

But it is uncertain how long Ukraine will be able to hold the territory it has seized in Kursk.

It has also opened up another front in a fight where Ukrainian forces were already badly stretched.

The gains in Kursk come as Ukraine continues to lose ground in its eastern industrial region of Donbas.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said in its daily report late on Tuesday that the Ukrainians had made additional advances in their incursion, now in its third week.

The Russian state news agency Tass reported that 31 people had died since Ukraine’s attack on Russia began on August 6, citing an unnamed source in the medical service – figures which are impossible to verify.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

MORE : Russia is urging people to stop using dating apps in areas hammered by Ukraine

MORE : George and Amal Clooney’s charity banned from Russia by Putin as he slams them as ‘warriors for justice’

MORE : Putin reignites body double rumours with photo of his ‘fabulous cheekbones’

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more.

Privacy Policy

Get us in your feed

Divers find 4 bodies during search of…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)

Daily e-Edition

Evening e-Edition

• Entertainment
• Restaurants, Food & Drink

Breaking News

Election results: florida primary and central florida races, uncategorized, divers find 4 bodies during search of superyacht wreckage after it sank off sicily, 2 more remain.

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht that sank off Sicily found four bodies Wednesday, as the search continued for two more missing passengers and questions intensified about why the vessel sank so quickly.

Divers and rescue crews unloaded two body bags from the rescue vessels that pulled into port at Porticello. Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, said two other bodies had also been found Wednesday in the wreckage for a total of four.

The discovery indicated that the operation to search the hull on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) underwater was a recovery one, not a rescue, given the amount of time that had passed and no signs of life had emerged over three days of searching, maritime experts said.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, went down in a storm early Monday as it was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly.

Fifteen people escaped in a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby sailboat. One body was recovered Monday — that of the ship’s Antigua-born chef, Recaldo Thomas.

Six people remained unaccounted for, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch , his 18-year-old daughter and associates who had successfully defended him in a recent U.S. federal fraud trial.

Investigators from the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office, meanwhile, were acquiring evidence for their criminal investigation, which they opened immediately after the tragedy even though no formal suspects have been publicly identified.

Questions abound about what caused the superyacht, which was built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, to sink so quickly, when the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat was largely spared and managed to rescue the 15 survivors.

Was it merely the case of a freak waterspout that knocked the ship to its side and allowed water to pour in through open hatches? What was the position of the keel, which on a large sailboat such as the Bayesian might have been retractable, to allow it to enter shallower ports?

“There’s a lot of uncertainty as to whether it had a lifting keel and whether it might have been up,” said Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and the editor of the Journal of Sailing Technology. “But if it had, then that would reduce the amount of stability that the vessel had, and therefore made it easier for it to roll over on its side,” he said in an interview.

Yachts such as the Bayesian are also required to have watertight, sub-compartments that are specifically designed to prevent a rapid, catastrophic sinking even when some parts fill with water.

“So for the vessel to sink, especially this fast, you are really looking at taking water on board very quickly, but also in a number of locations along the length of the vessel, which again indicates that it might have been rolled over on its side,” Souppez said.

Italian coast guard and fire rescue divers, meanwhile, continued the underwater search in dangerous and time-consuming conditions. Because of the depth of the wreck — which is far deeper than most recreational divers are certified for and at a depth that requires special precautions — divers working in tag teams can only spend about 12 minutes at a time searching.

The limited dive time is designed in part to avoid decompression sickness, also known as the “bends,” which can occur when divers stay underwater for long periods and ascend too quickly, allowing nitrogen gas dissolved in the blood to form bubbles.

“The longer you stay, the slower your ascent has to be,” said Simon Rogerson, the editor of SCUBA magazine. He said the tight turnaround time suggests the managers of the operation are trying to limit the risks and recovery time after each dive.

“It sounds like they’re operating essentially on no decompression or very tight decompression, or they’re being extremely conservative,” he said.

Winfield reported from Rome and Kirka from London. Trisha Thomas contributed from Rome.

More in Uncategorized

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Primary election stories.

A new setback hits a Boeing jet: US will require inspection of pilot seats on 787s

Ex-officer convicted in George Floyd’s killing is moved to new prison months after stabbing

Tens of thousands remain without power in Puerto Rico, a week after tropical storm swiped the island