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Bring Back the Royal Yacht Britannia!

Posted in Britannia, Buckingham Palace, Royal Family, Royal Yacht Britannia, Royalty, The Queen on July 27th, 2006
By John - leave a comment!


The Queen waving guests off the Hebridean Princess.

When the newly-elected Labour Government of Britain decommissioned the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1997, it was a huge blow to the Queen and to common sense. The ship was a symbol of Britain around the world, and was often used to seal massive business deals with other countries. Many felt it paid for itself many times over.

But the new “master” class thought otherwise. The modest cost of refurbishment or rebuilding was regarded as a political betrayal by a party that was overwhelmingly republican in sentiment.

The decommissioning of the Royal Yacht witnessed one of the very few occasions when Her Majesty shed tears in public. It had too many memories going back to her father, King George VI, who originally commissioned it.

Now in her 80th birthday year, the Queen has hired a converted car ferry, the Hebridean Princess, to take her and her family on the once-traditional summer cruise around the beautiful Western Isles of Scotland. Let’s not go overboard here: the Hebridean Princess has been converted into a luxury cruise ship of high standards, even if the crew of 40 Latvians on £40 ($74) a day pay hardly matches the old Royal Navy sailors who made up the ship’s compliment. They must be sorely missed by the traditionalists of the Royal family, not least Prince Philip, once an Admiral in the Navy.


The Grand Staircase on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Our Campaign
Here at Royal Anecdotes, we are launching an Internet campaign to recommission a new Royal Yacht Britannia, based on the old design, and with full RN crew. If begun now, it could be ready for HM’s 85th birthday.

What a fitting gift that would be from a nation that has sometimes undervalued its staunch Monarch in favour of fly-by-night principles promoted by here-today-gone-tomorrow politicians on the make.

Let’s start promoting this now. A new Royal Yacht for the Queen’s 85th birthday. Spread it virally if you can.

9 Responses to “Bring Back the Royal Yacht Britannia!”

  1. [...] Read about the campaign. [...]

    By » SYNTAGMA - Tech, New Media and Publishing on July 27th, 2006 at 5:48 pm

  2. If Tony Blair and family can fly on a whim at taxpayer expense and I am not british why can’t the Queen who is a constant and steadfast symbol of Britain not have a royal yacht that is befitting her status? is Blair jealous he is not a King ?

    By Trudie on July 27th, 2006 at 10:45 pm

  3. You hit the nail on the head there, Trudie. Blair would like to be like an American President, Head of State as well as Government. It irks him to be outshone and outranked by the Queen, so he chips away at her symbols of authority, like Britannia.

    By John on July 28th, 2006 at 7:39 am

  4. [...] Read all about the campain here. [...]

    By Do We Need a New Royal Yacht? » Aristocracy Anecdotes - Secrets of Aristocrats and Toffs on July 28th, 2006 at 8:52 am

  5. Time Blair got a life and also voted out of office. If one thinks Thatcher was grand Blair has her beat by a long shot. However The American President simply cannot make laws of government he must have the approval of Congress and the Senate and The Executive branch of the government is seperate from the Judicial branch with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court being the highest in the land. Blair needs to check his ego at the door.

    By Trudie on July 28th, 2006 at 1:19 pm

  6. I think he’ll be gone in a few months. He recently tried to pass a law that would bypass Parliament and allow him to make laws up as he goes along. Naturally, Parliament is in the process of rejecting it, but it gives an indication of his state of mind.

    By John on July 28th, 2006 at 1:47 pm

  7. Dear Johnny,

    Have your royal sources said anything about Peter Phillips being the next to marry? I don’t know if you read/saw but his girlfried, Autumn i think it was, was on the boat with him? What do you think.

    By Margaret on July 30th, 2006 at 4:11 pm

  8. Yes, Margaret, I’m going to do a piece tomorrow, coupled with Camilla apparently walking out on Charles at the end of the cruise.

    By the way, shouldn’t that be Royal “sauces”? ;-)

    By John on July 30th, 2006 at 4:42 pm

  9. ummm sureee.

    By Margaret on July 31st, 2006 at 12:41 am

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