HM Yacht Britannia was the 83rd Royal Yacht since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660 (Charles II himself had 25 Royal Yachts, while five were simultaneously in service in 1831).
Britannia was built at the shipyard of John Brown & Co. Ltd in Glasgow, Scotland, being launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 16 April1953 and commissioned on 11 January1954. During her career as Royal Yacht (she was designed to be converted into a hospital ship in time of war, though this facility was never used), she conveyed the Queen, other members of the Royal Family, and various dignitaries on 696 foreign visits and 272 visits in British waters.
John Major's Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected while the Labour Party refused to disclose its plans for the vessel. Following Labour's victory on 1 May1997 it was announced that the vessel would be retired with no replacement.
Her last foreign mission was to convey the last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, and Prince Charles, away from Hong Kong after the return of the British colony to the People's Republic of China on 30 June1997. Britannia was decommissioned on 11 December1997 and is now permanently moored as an exhibition ship at Leith harbour, near Edinburgh, Scotland, (Entrance to the yacht is now via the Ocean Terminal development.). Queen Elizabeth II attended the decommissioning along with all most senior members of the Royal Family, and the normally stiff-lipped monarch famously shed a tear publicly after disembarking for the last time, to the shock of many. There was some controversy over this, partially because some felt she would be better moored in Glasgow, where she had been built, and others who felt that the yacht had few links to Edinburgh itself.
Statistics
Gross Tonnage: 5769 tons.
Length: 412 ft (125 m)
Height of masts above waterline:
Foremast: 133 ft (40.5 m)
Mainmast: 139 ft (42 m)
Mizzenmast: 118 ft (36 m)
The top 6 metres of the two tallest masts were hinged to allow the ship to pass under bridges.
Maximum speed: 21.5 knots (40 km/h)
Range: ca. 2400 nautical miles (4,445 km)
During her career, Britannia steamed 1,087,623 nautical miles (2,014,278 km).
Crew (1997): 19 officers and 217 Royal Yachtsmen (plus Royal Marines band as required).
The yacht was built by the Clyde shipbuilders Messrs John Brown and Co at a cost of £2,098,000 to replace her 50-year-old predecessor, Victoria and Albert III.
BRITANNIA was equipped with the Royal Barge, built in 1964, with a top speed of 19 knots and two ten-metre long motor boats which were used as escorts for the Royal Barge and for ferrying libertymen and guests.
Although BRITANNIA was never required to carry out her secondary role as a hospital ship, in January 1986, whilst on passage to Australia, the RoyalYacht co-ordinated the evacuation of 1,379 civilians of 55 different nations from Aden when that country was being invaded from the north.
The RoyalYachtBritannia is one of the world's most famous ships serving the Royal Family for forty-four years.
During that time Britannia carried its passengers on 968 official voyages, from the remotest regions of the South Seas to the deepest divides of Antarctica.
Britannia is now permanently moored in Edinburgh's historic port of Leith and you can combine a stay at the Bonham with an exclusive visit to the City's most Royal attraction.
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