Queen Elizabeth II shed a few tears when the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned by the British Government in 1997.
Very much a vessel Her Majesty called her own, the stunning ship had been one of the Queen’s favourite places to holiday with her husband Prince Phillip – somewhere she could relax and be herself away from the eyes of the public and the press.
Following the sad decommission…
In fact, it’s believed Queen Elizabeth’s despair at the loss of the magnificent vessel was the reason she simply couldn’t face boarding it once more.
The royal grandmother chose not to join Princes William and Harry, and the Duchess of Cambridge, to celebrate her granddaughter Zara Phillips’ pre wedding reception in 2011.
Prince William and Catherine leave the Royal Yacht with Prince Harry, Sophie of Wessex and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie after the party hosted by Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall on the eve of their wedding on July 29, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
No longer sailing, the ship now acts as a much-loved tourist attraction, run by a charitable trust that donates all visitor profits to its upkeep.
Unlike Buckingham Palace or other royal residencies, Britannia, which was launched in 1953, is comparatively modern.
The Queen stayed in a room separate from Prince Phillip, as was often the case with the Royal Family, however they were linked by an adjoining door in the middle.
The boat was a refuge for the British Royal Family.
The Queen’s bed
Her Majesty’s room was decorated modestly with a single bed and a simple dresser.
Once dubbed ‘The Love Yacht’, it was on Britannia that all four of Queen Elizabeth’s children celebrated their honeymoons.
It was Prince Charles who ordered the first double bed to be put on the vessel, when he honeymooned with Princess Diana in 1981.
The royal dining hall.
Charles and his loved ones shared amazing memories on the vessel.
Queen Elizabeth didn’t just holiday on the boat, and Britannia’s state dining room was used to host many official dinners.
Guests such as Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Taylor all dined on the vessel.
When Queen Elizabeth wanted a more relaxed afternoon tea, she’d sit in the drawing room, which once featured a stunning piano Princess Diana was known to play.
The State Room.
The Drawing Room.
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