HMY Britannia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids History
Britannia departs Cardiff for the last time.
United Kingdom
Name	Britannia
Owner	The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust
Ordered	5 February 1952
Builder	John Brown & Company
Yard number	691
Laid down	16 June 1952
Launched	16 April 1953
Commissioned	11 January 1954
Decommissioned	11 December 1997
Identification	IMO number: 8635306
Status	Museum ship
General characteristics
Tonnage	5,769 GT
Length	412 ft (126 m)
Beam	55 ft (17 m)
Height	123 ft (37 m) to top of mainmast
Draught	15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion	2 Pametrada steam turbines, 12,000 hp (8,900 kW)
Speed	21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph)
Range	2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km)
Capacity	250 guests
Crew	21 officers 250 Royal Yachtsmen

Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia was the special ship used by the British Royal Family. She served them from 1954 until 1997. Britannia was the 83rd royal ship since King Charles II became king in 1660. She was also the second royal yacht to have this name. The first was a racing boat built in 1893 for Prince Edward.

During her 43 years of service, Britannia traveled over a million nautical miles. She visited more than 600 ports in 135 countries around the world. Now, Britannia is a museum ship. She is docked permanently at Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. Over 300,000 people visit her every year.

Building the Royal Yacht
Who Worked on the Ship?
A Look Back at Britannia's Journeys
- Why Britannia Was Retired
Visiting Britannia Today
Ideas for a New Royal Ship
Images for kids
See also

Building the Royal Yacht

HMY Britannia was built at the John Brown & Co. Ltd shipyard. This shipyard is located in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire. Queen Elizabeth II officially launched the ship on April 16, 1953. The ship started its service on January 11, 1954.

Britannia had three tall masts. The front mast was 133 feet (40.5 meters) tall. The main mast was 139 feet (42.4 meters) tall. The back mast was 118 feet (36 meters) tall. The top part of the front mast and the top 20 feet (6 meters) of the main mast could fold down. This allowed the ship to pass under bridges.

The ship was designed to be a hospital ship if there was a war. However, this was never needed. In case of a nuclear war, the plan was for the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to be safe on Britannia. They would stay off the north-west coast of Scotland.

Who Worked on the Ship?

Royal Yacht Britannia Crest

Officers from the Royal Navy served on Britannia for up to two years. The rest of the crew were volunteers from the Royal Navy. After serving for 365 days, they could become "Royal Yachtsmen." They could then serve on the ship for many years, some for 20 years or more.

The crew also included a group of Royal Marines. Members of the Royal Marines Band Service would join the ship. They would play music whenever Britannia was on duty away from its home port.

A Look Back at Britannia's Journeys

Britannia began her first journey from Portsmouth to Grand Harbour, Malta. She left on April 14, 1954, and arrived on April 22. She carried Prince Charles and Princess Anne to Malta. They met the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh there. The Queen and Duke first boarded Britannia in Tobruk on May 1, 1954.

HMY Britannia on the Welland Canal in Canada, heading to Chicago in 1959. This was for the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

Britannia at the Spithead Fleet Review for the Silver Jubilee in 1977.

On July 20, 1959, Britannia sailed through the new Saint Lawrence Seaway. She went to Chicago, making the Queen the first British monarch to visit the city. U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower was on board for part of this trip. Later, Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton also visited the ship.

Many royal events happened on Britannia. Anne and Mark Phillips spent their honeymoon on the ship in 1973. Prince Charles and Diana did the same in 1981. In 1986, the ship helped over 1,000 people escape the civil war in Aden. In 1991, the ship visited Canada, stopping in Toronto and Kingston, Ontario.

When Britannia was on royal duties, a Royal Navy warship would escort her. The yacht was often seen at Cowes Week in August. For the rest of that month, the Queen and her family would use the ship for their yearly cruise. This cruise explored the islands off the west coast of Scotland.

During her time as the Royal Yacht, Britannia carried the Queen and other royals. She also hosted many important people. She made 696 visits to other countries and 272 visits within British waters. In total, Britannia traveled 1,087,623 nautical miles (2,014,273 kilometers).

Why Britannia Was Retired

London, 1997

By the 1990s, Britannia was getting old. She had a major repair in 1987. Another big repair would cost about £17 million in 1996–97. Even after this, she would only last five more years. Because of her age and high costs, it was decided to stop using Britannia in 1997.

The government at the time considered replacing her. They said the ship was important for foreign policy. It helped promote British business around the world. Events on the yacht helped raise billions of pounds for the UK.

However, the new government elected in 1997 decided not to replace Britannia. They said they would not use public money for a new royal yacht. They also noted that the Queen said a yacht was not needed for royal travel.

Britannia's last foreign trip was very important. She carried the last Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, and the Prince of Wales. They were returning from Hong Kong after it was handed over to China on July 1, 1997.

Britannia officially stopped service on December 11, 1997. The Queen, who usually does not show her feelings in public, was reported to have shed a tear at the ceremony. Most of the Royal Family were there.

Visiting Britannia Today

Britannia is now a popular visitor attraction. She is docked in the historic Port of Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland. A charity called the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust takes care of her.

Many people visit the Royal Yacht Britannia every year. It is one of the UK's top places for evening events. Famous people have celebrated on board. For example, actress Ursula Andress had her 70th birthday party there. In 2011, a party was held for the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and her fiancé, Mike Tindall.

When you visit, you can see a restored Land Rover in the ship's garage. A retired Rolls-Royce Phantom V state car is parked on the dock. You can explore five decks. This includes the Queen's bedroom, which you can see through a glass wall. You can also see the state dining and drawing rooms. These rooms hosted kings, queens, presidents, and prime ministers from all over the world. The clocks on board are stopped at 3:01. This is the exact time the Queen last left the ship. A tea room was added in 2009.

The 1936 racing yacht Bloodhound is now docked next to Britannia. The Queen and Prince Philip once owned Bloodhound. It was a very successful racing yacht. King Charles III and Princess Anne learned to sail on this boat. The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust bought Bloodhound in 2010. It is now part of an exhibit about the Royal Family's love for sailing. Visitors can see Bloodhound from a special walkway when it is in port. In July and August, it sails around the Scottish islands. These are the same islands the Royal Family visited on their holidays.

Since 2019, the MV Fingal has been docked near Britannia. Fingal was once a ship for the Northern Lighthouse Board. It has been turned into a fancy hotel. The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust also owns this hotel.

Ideas for a New Royal Ship

There have been ideas to build a new royal yacht. Some people thought it could be paid for by a loan or by the Royal Family's own money. In 2019, it was reported that Sir Donald Gosling left £50 million in his will for a new ship.

In 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a "new national flagship" would be built. It would not be a luxury yacht but a ship for national purposes. It was expected to cost up to £200 million. However, in 2022, it was reported that plans for a new yacht might be stopped to save money.

Images for kids

Britannia departs Cardiff for the last time.
Royal Yacht Britannia Crest
HMY Britannia on the Welland Canal in Canada, en route to Chicago in 1959, as part of the celebration for the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Britannia at the Spithead Fleet Review for the Silver Jubilee, 1977
London, 1997