What Replaced The Royal Yacht Britannia?

A new national yacht, estimated to cost £200m, will be funded by the Ministry of Defences budget, according to Downing Street. The vessel will replace the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was retired in 1997. The government plans to build the ship in the UK at a reported cost of £200m. After Tony Blair’s Government confirmed in October 1997 that there would be no replacement for Britannia, figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request found the Ministry of Defence splashed £2,476,000 on the vessel, a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia. London-based Vitruvius Yachts has shared its proposal for the design of the 125-metre yacht, citing sustainable power and diversity as key features.

The British Government has scrapped plans to build a national flagship yacht estimated to cost up to £250 million. Ministers are weighing up two competing designs for the replacement for the HMY Britannia, which was controversially decommissioned by the Labour party. The new national flagship will enter service in four years, and it will give British businesses a new global platform.

The question of a new Royal Yacht became a political issue in the run up to the 1997 General Election. Penny Mordaunt has unveiled three new hi-tech ships to replace the Royal Yacht Britannia and promote Brexit Britain around the globe. One of the designs for the replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia included recyclable materials and reflected a multicultural Britain.

Can Britannia sail again?

The line recently announced that its travel agent ship visits schedule will include three chances to visit Britannia.

The changes to the ship, completed earlier this month, come ahead of its 10th anniversary celebration cruise on June 6, 2025.

The refurbishment includes public spaces, suites and cabins; extension of the loyalty and cruise sales area; enhancements to the Market Cafe; and a “significant investment” in crew areas.

The children’s splash area has been upgraded with interactive water features.

Who cancelled the Royal Yacht Britannia?

No, the decision to decommission Britannia was taken in 1994 by John Major’s Conservative government as the ship was then 40 years old, had been refitted in 1987 but would have needed a further refit in 1996–7 at a cost of £17 million, which would only have extended its life by another 5 years.

Did Queen Elizabeth get a new yacht?

The christening of The Royal Yacht Britannia serves as a cheeky season opener toThe 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 theVictoria and Albert III. By the series’ season finale, set 44 years later, both the sovereign and the floating palace she christenedBritannia 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.

Why did they get rid of the royal yacht Britannia?

A further refit at an estimated cost of some £17 million would be necessary in 1996–97 but would only prolong her life for a further five years. In view of her age, even after the refit she would be difficult to maintain and expensive to run. It has therefore been decided to decommission ‘Britannia’ in 1997.

In looking back at the history of Royal Yacht Britannia, one can trace the emotional journey of Queen Elizabeth II. Her affection for the vessel stemmed from deep-rooted sentiment, making HMY Britannia’s retirement remarkably personal.

June 23, 1994, was a dark day for Queen Elizabeth II.

While public perception of Her Majesty’s lifestyle revolved around lavish wealth and exclusive travel, of which money was no object, that generalised consensus remained far from the truth.

What happened to the Queen’s private yacht?

The Royal Yacht’s final foreign mission was to convey the last Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, and the Prince of Wales back from Hong Kong after its handover to the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 1997. Britannia was decommissioned on 11 December 1997. The Queen, normally undemonstrative in public, was reported to have cried at the decommissioning ceremony that was attended by most of the senior members of the Royal Family.

Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, Britannia is a visitor attraction moored in the historic Port of Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is cared for by the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, a registered charity. There was some controversy over the siting of the ship, with some arguing that she would be better moored on the River Clyde, where she was built, than in Edinburgh, with which the yacht had few links. Her positioning in Leith coincided with a redevelopment of the harbour area and the advent of Scottish devolution.

Entrance to the yacht is via the Ocean Terminal development, and over 300,000 people visit the Royal Yacht Britannia every year. She is one of the UK’s top evening events venues. On 18 May 2006, the Swiss-born Hollywood actress and first Bond girl, Ursula Andress, celebrated her 70th birthday on board. On 29 July 2011, a drinks reception was held on board Britannia for Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter Zara Phillips and her then fiancé, Mike Tindall, to celebrate their forthcoming wedding.

Who looks after the Royal Yacht in Britannia?

Bob Downie has been Chief Executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust since Britannia first arrived in Leith in May 1998.From a blank sheet of paper he has developed Britannia into the UK’s No.1 Attraction (Tripadvisor 2014 & 2023) and Best UK Attraction (WHICH Magazine 2021-2023), the only Scottish attraction to have ever received either of these coveted UK accolades.In 2019 the Trust opened Scotland’s first luxury floating hotel on the former Northern Lighthouse Board vessel: Fingal, a 5 star, 2 Rosette static floating hotel that is Pride of Britain’s Hotel of the Year 2023. He has a real passion for ensuring that everyone who visits Britannia and Fingal have a truly great customer experience and this is reflected in both vessels receiving Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice ‘Best of the Best Awards’ putting them in the Top 1% in the world. Prior to being asked to manage Britannia he was in charge of Tourism in Edinburgh for Scottish Enterprise, having joined their predecessor, the Scottish Development Agency, in 1986. He was born and brought up in Oban. Bob is a former non-executive Director of Museums Galleries Scotland, and Edinburgh College.

Director of Human Resource Development – Vicki Bygrave BA.

Vicki Bygrave has been Britannia’s Head of HRD since November 2005. Vicki previously worked for John Menzies Retail PLC, before joining Britannia as part of the opening team in October 1998. Vicki started at Britannia as a Finance Assistant and worked her way up to become Head of Finance in October 2001. Heading up HR at Britannia has taken Vicki back to her first career path, having started out as part of the HR team with BP in Shetland in the early 1990s. Vicki describes herself as a people person who is passionate about ensuring Britannia’s success through the development of our staff. She is proud of her Scottish Borders roots.

Why didn’t the royal family pay for Britannia?

The cost of running Britannia was always an issue. Politicians raised questions about its financial value as far back as 1954, when two MPs lobbied for an investigation on why the yacht’s refurbishment would cost 5.8 million pounds, accusing the royal family of waste and extravagance. A government committee later dismissed the accusations. In 1994, the Conservative government ruled the yacht too costly to refurbish, when repairs came in at a whopping 17 million, but then briefly walked back on their decision a few years later.

However, when Tony Blair’s Labour government won the election, and the new government once again declined to pay for Britannia. Britannia’s final journey was to far-flung Hong Kong in 1997, as Prince Charles turned over the British colony back to the Chinese at the end of Britain’s 99-year lease. When they finally decommissioned the boat that summer, the queen cried—one of the few times she’s shown emotion in public. The boat had logged over one million nautical miles.

Today, Britannia sits permanently docked in Edinburgh. Visitors can take tours of its grand galleys, or even rent it out for events. Yet, despite its retirement, the concept of the royal yacht lives on: In 2021, Boris Johnson floated the idea of a new boat. However, a mere eight days ago, Rishi Sunak has scrapped the project—showing that, even now, the concept remains a controversial one.

Is there a new Royal Yacht after Britannia?

Since 1998, following a successful national tender process, Britannia has been berthed permanently at the Port of Leith in Edinburgh. There are currently no British royal yachts, although MV Hebridean Princess and MY Leander G have both been used by the royal family.

Data about launch years from Royal Yachts of the World by Tim Madge.

• Mary (1660–1675)
• Royal Escape (dates unknown)
• Anne (1661–unknown)
• Bezan (1661–unknown)
• Katherine (first ship of that name) (1661–unknown): built by Phineas Pett
• Minion (dates unknown)
• Charles (first ship of that name) (1662–unknown)
• Jamie or Jemmy (1662–unknown)
• Henrietta (first ship of that name) (1663–unknown)
• Merlin* (1666–unknown)
• Monmouth (1666–unknown)
• Navy (1666–unknown)
• Saudadoes (1670–unknown)
• Cleveland (1671–unknown)
• Queenborough (first ship of that name) (1671–unknown)
• Deale (1673–unknown)
• Isle of Wight (1673–unknown)
• Kitchen (1670–unknown)
• Katherine (second ship of that name) (1674–unknown)
• Portsmouth (first ship of that name) (1674–unknown)
• Charles (second ship of that name) (1675–unknown); Charlot (1677–unknown); Mary (second ship of that name) (1677–unknown); Henrietta (second ship of that name) (1679–unknown); Izabella Bezan (1680–unknown); Fubbs (1682–unknown); Isabella (first ship of that name) (1680–unknown); William & Mary (first ship of that name) (1694–unknown); Squirrel (1694–unknown); Scout (1695–unknown); Queenborough (second ship of that name) (1701–unknown); Soesdyke (1702–unknown); Portsmouth (second ship of that name) (1702–unknown); Isabella (1703–unknown); Drake (1705–unknown)

What is the fate of the Royal Yacht Britannia?

In total, Britannia sailed for 43 years, ending its time at sea on December 11, 1997. In total, she is thought to have traveled more than a million nautical miles around the world’s oceans.

Today, Britannia is permanently berthed at the Ocean Terminal, Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland. Members of the public are able to visit the marvelous yacht as well as the racing yacht, Bloodhound, once owned by the Queen and Prince Philip.

In The Crown Season 5, the Queen and Prince Philip are seen asking Conservative PM Major to approve a £14.745 million refurbishment.

In Episode 1, Major tells the Queen and Philip that spending public money on the yacht at the time of a global recession would not bode well with the general public and as a result, have detrimental effects on the monarchy and the government.

Was The Crown filmed on the Royal Yacht in Britannia?

That boat, decommissioned in the 1990s, currently sits in the port of Leith, in Edinburgh. That said, The Crown wasn’t filmed on the original ship. Instead, an impeccable replica was made based on the boat’s interiors.

You’ll see how good a job the set designers did when you visit the yacht itself. It’s one of the most popular attractions in all of Scotland.

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• Related: Amazing things to do in Edinburgh

10. Northern Quarter, Manchester. Neither a castle nor a stately home, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that Manchester’s Northern Quarter is a little out of place on this list.

Do the Royals currently have a yacht?

The United Kingdom has had 83 royal yachts since the restoration of Charles II of England in 1660. Charles II himself had 25 royal yachts, while five were simultaneously in service in 1831. Since the decommissioning of Britannia in 1997 the British monarchy no longer has a royal yacht.

The Principality of Monaco owned the princely yacht Deo Juvante II between 1956–1958. This Camper and Nicholsons yacht was a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis to Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly and was used on their honeymoon. The yacht, now called M/Y Grace, is now owned and operated by Quasar Expeditions.

Yugoslavia had some royal yachts before World War II (most notably, one was a sister ship of Ilinden which sank in Lake Ohrid in 2009).

Who owns the Royal Yacht in Britannia now?

The Trust. Britannia is owned and cared for by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. Britannia is part of the Core Collection of the National Register of Historic Vessels, the official register of the most important British ships in existence.

As befits its charitable objectives, the Trust’s principal activity is to encourage as many people as possible to visit Britannia, in order to learn more about this iconic vessel and the ambassadorial role she undertook throughout the world. Since opening to the public on 19 October 1998, Britannia normally attracts between 350,000 and 400,000 visitors per annum, usually making it one of Scotland’s top 10 paid admission visitor attractions. Since first joining our national tourist board’s quality assurance scheme, VisitScotland has graded us in the 5 Star ‘World Class’ category. In addition, for 13 years Britannia received the highest quality mark awarded that year by VisitScotland, making it Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction. The Royal Yacht Britannia has, for the second time, been awarded Tripadvisor’s No.1 UK Attraction andhas retained its Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Award, which is awarded to less than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings.

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