Photos show what it's like onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, the queen's 'floating palace' that she took on lavish vacations
- The Royal Yacht Britannia was the royal family's private yacht from 1953 to 1997.
- It's five stories tall, had more than 240 staff, and was known as the queen's "floating palace."
- Britannia is now anchored in Leith, Scotland, and reopens as a tourist attraction on May 12.
For 44 years, the Royal Yacht Britannia carried the queen and members of the royal family around the world.
Source: Royal Yacht Britannia
Built in 1953, it logged more than 1 million miles and became known as the queen's "floating palace."
The five-story ship was part royal residence and part Royal Navy ship, with a full-time staff of more than 240 royal yachtsmen and officers.
The queen traveled on the ship for tours abroad, during which she would meet with dignitaries both on land and onboard.
She also used it for vacations like the royal family's annual summer cruise to the Western Isles of Scotland.
The queen once said that "Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax."
Four royal couples used the ship for their honeymoons, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.
In 1997, the Labour government decommissioned the ship, citing costs as a primary reason. The Britannia cost about £11 million to run each year, Reuters reported.
Source: Royal Yacht Britannia , Reuters
While the queen has yet to build a new yacht, that wasn't the end of the Royal Yacht Britannia.
One year later, it opened as a public museum in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.
The ship is set to reopen on May 12, almost six months after it closed in November due to the pandemic.
Source: Royal Yacht Britannia , BBC
Visitors will be able to step into spaces like the teak-lined sun lounge, the queen's favorite room, where she took her breakfast and afternoon tea.
The queen's bedroom, featuring a vanity table, writing desk, and twin bed, is also on display. The queen and Prince Philip slept separately while onboard the Britannia.
The largest room on the ship is the state dining room, where the queen entertained dignitaries like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher. The room could fit 56 guests.
Nearby is the state drawing room, which served as a place for the royal family to relax as well as a reception area for guests.
Toward the front of the ship are rooms where the staff lived and operated, like the 24-hour laundry room. Here, yachtsmen and officers would change outfits up to six times per day.
The former royal yachtsmen, known as "yotties," now reunite annually to help maintain the ship.
The clocks on the Royal Yacht Britannia don't get touched. They are permanently stopped at 3:01 p.m., the time when the queen stepped off the ship for the last time.
Prince Philip once said that the ship occupies a unique place in royal history. "Almost every previous sovereign has been responsible for building a church, a castle, a palace, or just a house," he said, according to the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. "The only comparable structure in the present reign is Britannia."
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Inside The Royal Yacht Britannia - incredible rare photos
The royal family's yacht is now decommissioned and here's a chance to see inside.
The Royal Yacht Britannia is a hit tourist attraction in Edinburgh, but it used to be a commissioned vessel frequently used by the royal family. Many royal fans may remember it from a Netflix episode of The Crown , and the late Queen Elizabeth II was so fond of it that she even shed a tear when it was decommissioned in 1997.
Take a look inside the amazing boat that has a fascinating history, checking out everything from the late Queen's bedroom to the awe-inspiring engine room…
The Queen's bedroom
A photograph from 1998, reveals the room Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II used to sleep in. The modest-sized bed and simple in-room desk are a far cry from the grand palaces the family are used to.
The royal dining room
An archived picture shows what the boat's dining room used to look like when dressed for special dinners. There are multiple oval, wooden tables, matching wooden chairs and flowers and lamps add to the decadent atmosphere.
A lovely sun room
One of the yacht's sitting rooms has two floral sofas which wouldn't look out of place in an actual royal residence. A collection of other furniture ranges from outdoor-style chairs to antique-looking side tables.
A top deck perfect for hosting
Zara and Mike Tindall used the boat to host a pre-wedding party, and pictures from the event show many members of the royal family on the top deck enjoying conversations and drinks.
READ: Prince William and Princess Kate reveal how many staff they actually have
The engine room
A picture inside the engine room shows the inner workings of the ship. The Herald Scotland explains that there was reportedly a doormat at the edge of the engine room to ensure it was kept in immaculate condition.
Did you know, they may not have use of the royal yacht anymore, but they still use a royal train?
The royal train has been used by the royal family since 1840, and the nine-carriage Royal Train is equipped with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a dining room that seats 12 people, and even an office.
SEE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bittersweet moment packing up Frogmore Cottage caught on camera
It is the source of much fascination and has previously been featured in Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Train.
In January this year, King Charles took his first ride on it since becoming monarch, travelling from Scotland to Manchester.
Queen Elizabeth II 's last journey on the locomotive was in June 2022 when she travelled to Edinburgh .
In 2018, the then-newlywed Duchess of Sussex travelled on the royal train to Cheshire with Her Majesty.
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History Hit Story of England: Making of a Nation
- 20th Century
10 Facts About Royal Yacht Britannia
Peta Stamper
28 nov 2022.
The 83rd and last in a long line of royal yachts, HMY Britannia has become one of the most famous ships in the world. Now permanently moored at Edinburgh’s Port of Leith, the floating palace is a visitor attraction welcoming some 300,000 people aboard each year.
For Queen Elizabeth II, Britannia was the ideal residence for state visits and peaceful royal family holidays and honeymoons. For the British public, Britannia was a symbol of Commonwealth. For the 220 naval officers who lived aboard Britannia , and the royal family, the 412-foot-long yacht was home.
Having travelled more than a million nautical miles over 44 years of service to the British Crown, Her Majesty’s beloved boat was decommissioned in 1997. Here are 10 facts about life aboard HMY Britannia.
1. Britannia was launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 16 April 1953 using a bottle of wine, not champagne
Champagne is traditionally smashed against a ship’s hull during launching ceremonies. However, in a post-war climate champagne was seen as too frivolous, so a bottle of Empire wine was used instead.
Britannia launched from the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland.
2. Britannia was the 83rd Royal Yacht
King George VI , Elizabeth II’s father, had first commissioned the royal yacht that would become Britannia in 1952. The previous official boat had belonged to Queen Victoria and was rarely used. The tradition of royal yachts had been started by Charles II in 1660.
George decided that the Royal Yacht Britannia should both be a regal vessel as well as a functional one.
3. Britannia had two emergency functions
Britannia was designed to be converted into a hospital ship in time of war, although that function was never used. Additionally, as part of the Cold War plan Operation Candid, in the event of nuclear war the ship would become a refuge off the north-west coast of Scotland for the Queen and Prince Philip.
4. Her maiden voyage was from Portsmouth to Grand Harbour in Malta
She carried Prince Charles and Princess Anne to Malta to meet the Queen and Prince Philip at the end of the royal couple’s Commonwealth tour. The Queen stepped aboard Britannia for the first time in Tobruk on 1 May 1954.
Over the next 43 years, Britannia would transport the Queen, members of the Royal Family and various dignitaries on some 696 foreign visits.
The HMY Britannia on a visit by the Queen to Canada in 1964
Image Credit: Royal Canadian Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
5. Britannia hosted some of the 20th century’s most notable figures
In July 1959, Britannia sailed the newly opened Saint Lawrence Seaway to Chicago where she docked, making the Queen the first British monarch to visit the city. US President Dwight Eisenhower hopped aboard Britannia for part of the journey.
In later years, Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton would also step aboard. Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, took their honeymoon cruise on Britannia in 1981.
6. The crew were volunteers from the Royal Navy
After 365 days’ service, crew members could be admitted to the Permanent Royal Yacht Service as Royal Yachtsmen (‘Yotties’) and serve until they either chose to leave or were dismissed. As a result, some yachtsmen served on Britannia for over 20 years.
The crew also included a detachment of Royal Marines, who would dive underneath the ship each day while moored away from home to check for mines or other threats.
7. All royal children were allocated a ‘Sea Daddy’ on board the ship
The ‘sea daddies’ were primarily tasked with looking after the children and keeping them entertained (games, picnics and water fights) during voyages. They also oversaw the children’s chores, including cleaning the life rafts.
8. There was a ‘Jelly Room’ onboard for the royal children
The yacht had a total of three galley kitchens where Buckingham Palace ‘s chefs prepared meals. Among these galleys was a chilled room called the ‘Jelly Room’ for the sole purpose of storing royal children’s jellied desserts.
9. It cost around £11 million every year to run Britannica
The cost of running Britannia was always an issue. In 1994, another expensive refit for the ageing vessel was proposed. Whether or not to refit or commission a new royal yacht entirely came down to the election result of 1997. With repairs at a proposed cost of £17 million, Tony Blair’s new Labour government were unwilling to commit public funds to replace Britannica.
HMY Britannia in 1997, London
Image Credit: Chris Allen, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
10. All the clocks on board remain stopped at 3:01pm
In December 1997, Britannia was officially decommissioned. The clocks have been kept at 3:01pm – the exact moment the Queen went ashore for the last time following the ship’s decommissioning ceremony, during which the Queen shed a rare public tear.
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Vintage Everyday
Bring back some good or bad memories, march 25, 2024, amazing photos show the inside of the royal yacht britannia.
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Lifeboat, funnel and flags |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The deck and canopy |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Mast |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Union Flag |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The bell |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Belt |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Bust of Nelson |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Portrait of Nelson |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Baby Grand Piano. As famously played by Noel Coward to entertain HM Queen and guests |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - HRH Duke of Edinburgh's bedroom |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Model of HMS Thunderer 1872 |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Royal Barge |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The Dining Room is the grandest and largest room on the Royal Yacht Britannia where some of the most powerful men in the world were entertained by Her Majesty, the Queen |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The drawing room on the Britannia is probably the yacht's most elegant room, with its fireplace, Persian rugs and deep armchairs. This is where intimate gatherings or other official functions would take place |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The on-board Garage housing one of Her Majesty’s Rolls-Royces, it being a Phantom V official state car, presented to HM Queen in 1960 |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The Royal bedrooms. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did not share a Royal Bedroom. The sleeping quarters are made up of two suites with an interconnected door |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The Royal cocktail cabinet with the obligatory gin and Dubonnet bottles |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - The Engine Room on the Britannia is a marvel of engineering that has barely changed from the time the ship was launched in 1953 |
| Royal Yacht Britannia - Crew accommodation |
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Inside the Royal Yacht Britannia
We explore how the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Royal Family’s former yacht, became one of Britain’s best-loved attractions...
This year marks two major milestones for the iconic Royal Yacht Britannia , the Royal Family’s former yacht, aboard which they would cruise the Western Isles of Scotland each summer. Celebrating both 70 years of service and 25 years as a multi-award-winning floating museum and visitor attraction, this regal yacht is more popular than ever.
Since dropping anchor in Edinburgh’s historic port of Leith and opening to the public in 1998, a year after it was decommissioned, Britannia has captivated some six million visitors. It’s a spectacle of refined elegance crammed full of fascinating royal and naval history.
Somewhat randomly, Britannia, and the bold tartan trews worn by the guides, were fixtures in my family for over a decade. Having taken early retirement, my father, Richard Henton, who has a lifelong interest in the Royal Navy, subsequently worked as a guide aboard Britannia from 2003 to 2014.
As he puts it: “The nice thing about working on Britannia was being associated with a truly prestigious icon that was instantly recognised internationally. I also had a certain affection for the Royal Yacht since I remember her launch back in 1953.”
The decades following WWII witnessed great change globally. War-torn countries from Europe to Eastern Asia endured significant financial and social hardships, while colonised countries that had formed the backbone of European empires, many of whose citizens had fought and died in two World Wars, actively sought their independence.
Seismic events such as the Partition of India, unrest in Palestine and Malaya (now Malaysia), and the later Suez Crisis all signalled the complexities of this new order. In addition, the Commonwealth came to prominence. Plus, Britain had a new monarch. Following the death of King George VI on 6 February 1952, 25-year-old Elizabeth was proclaimed queen and a new chapter in British history began.
It was into this changing world that Britannia was launched. In fact, the shipyard received the official order to commence work on the new Royal Yacht from the Admiralty on 4 February 1952, just two days before King George VI died.
THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Although plans for a new Royal Yacht were temporarily shelved owing to WWII, work began on Britannia in 1952 at the renowned John Brown & Co. Shipyard in Clydebank, where liners including the Lusitania, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth were also constructed. Although officially launched on 16 April 1953, it wasn’t until 11 January 1954 that Britannia was commissioned into active service with the Royal Navy.
The 412-foot-long (126-metre) yacht was one of the last fully-riveted ships to be built. It was seen to have quite the modern form with a crisp clipper bow and a sleek cruiser stern. Meanwhile, down in the engine room, two steam-powered turbines generated 12,000 horsepower and a maximum speed of 22.5 knots (around 25 mph).
Curiously, the ship’s wheel, which was taken from its 1893 namesake, Edward, Prince of Wales’s (later Edward VII) Royal Cutter Britannia, is located in the wheelhouse for security reasons. This meant that yachtsmen at the helm couldn’t actually see where they were going. Instead, they followed instructions via voice pipes from the bridge above.
The ship’s name also remained a mystery to all but a few until its christening. When Queen Elizabeth II smashed a bottle on the bow in April 1953, some 30,000 people, mainly shipbuilders and their families, turned out in the pouring rain to hear her proclaim “I name this ship Britannia” for the first time, although it was never painted onto the hull.
THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA: UNDERSTATED INTERIORS
Stepping aboard Britannia, you might expect some serious luxury. However, as Laura McCall, of the Royal Yacht Britannia reveals, luxury wasn’t the look the Royal Family were going for at all: “The initial designs were considered to be too opulent and, instead, more of a ‘country home’ feel was chosen by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip… it’s elegant yet reflects the post-war austerity in which the ship was built.”
This period also necessitated the ability to convert Britannia into a hospital ship, should it ever be required. Over in the state apartments, it’s a homely affair. What’s more, it remains relatively unchanged, a time capsule of chintzy chairs, surprisingly narrow single beds and considerably ordinary decor.
Of course, the grand state dining room, magnificent staircase, and teak sun lounge with its giant picture windows – said to have been our late Queen’s favourite spot – quickly remind you that it was still a floating palace fit for royalty.
THE ROYAL YAHCT BRITANNIA: LIFE AT SEA
Britannia offered an escape for the Royal Family. It was a private bubble, which Queen Elizabeth II described as “the only place I can truly relax.”
McCall says: “King Charles enjoyed summer holidays on Britannia and in later years, [it] was where His Majesty brought his own sons for family trips to the Western Isles.” It has also hosted four royal honeymoons and, McCall continues, was where “the Royal Family entertained everyone from prime ministers and presidents to the celebrities of the day, including Frank Sinatra.”
For the 220 yachtsmen, known as ‘yotties’, who served aboard Britannia, life was very different to other postings. The rules were unusual, for starters. As Acting Captain J S Dalglish, the officer in charge of commissioning Britannia, later wrote: “Everything in the yacht is done in complete silence. We used no… broadcasting device for getting orders round the vessel, but instead the telephone etc. below decks, and signs and signals above.”
THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA: THE SOFT ART OF DIPLOMACY
It wasn’t all high days and holidays, however. Britannia was a mobile ambassador, a vessel that ferried the next generation of royals looking to represent Britain through diplomacy, trade, even the odd humanitarian mission.
It also played a vital role in connecting Britain with the expanding Commonwealth, formed of mainly ex-British territories all the way from New Zealand to Jamaica. In her Christmas Day broadcast in 1953, Her Majesty The Queen said: “The Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the empires of the past. It is an entirely new conception, built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace.”
Britannia was a vital tool the Royal Family used to honour those promises and strengthen ties with nations previously stitched into its empire.
THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA: THE MUSEUM
Today, people visit Britannia from all over the globe. According to my father: “The highlight of being with visitors was their evident interest in all aspects of life on board and observing their reactions to what many considered to be the decidedly non-luxurious aspects of the Royal Family’s accommodation and the generally cramped nature of the ship’s company.”
He adds: “Those from Commonwealth countries and the USA showed particular interest since they had often seen Britannia when she visited their own countries.”
Planning a visit? My dad’s top tip is not to rush it but to give yourself sufficient time to look around properly – at least an hour and a half. Personally, I can’t recommend a trip to the Royal Deck Tea Room enough. Go for a scone and a glass of something bubbly, stay for the views to Fife and the Antony Gormley statue gazing across the Forth.
Britannia’s arrival in Leith opened a new chapter in the yacht’s story. Now, as Britain welcomes a new monarch, she continues to tell the tale of the royals of the 20th century.
To book your tickets for The Royal Yacht Britannia, go to royalyachtbritannia.co.uk
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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.
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