List of royal yachts of the United Kingdom facts for kids

Royal yachts are special ships used by the British Royal Family. They are like floating palaces, used for travel, official events, and sometimes even holidays. Since the monarchy returned in 1660, there have been 83 royal yachts!

King Charles II, for example, had 25 royal yachts during his time. In 1831, five royal yachts were in service at the same time. Sometimes, regular merchant ships or warships have been used as temporary royal yachts for special trips. For instance, the steamship Ophir was used in 1901, and the battleship HMS Vanguard in 1947.

Today, there are no official British royal yachts. The famous Britannia has been a visitor attraction in Edinburgh since 1998. However, the royal family has occasionally used other ships like the MV Hebridean Princess and MY Leander G.

Early Royal Yachts: Kingdom of England

The first royal yachts appeared after the monarchy was restored in 1660. These ships were often smaller and used for travel along the coast or across the English Channel. They were built for comfort and style, showing off the power of the king.

Here are some of the royal yachts from the Kingdom of England:

• 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)

Royal Yachts of Great Britain

After the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1707, new royal yachts continued to be built. These ships were important for royal travel and showing off British power on the seas.

Some of the royal yachts from this period include:

• Dublin (1709–unknown)
• Bolton (1709–unknown)
• Charlot (1710–unknown)
• Carolina (1710–unknown)
• Chatham (1710–unknown)
• Chatham (1741–unknown)
• Portsmouth (1742–unknown)
• Royal Caroline (renamed Royal Charlotte in 1761) (1749–1820)
• Dorset (1753–unknown)
• Plymouth (1755–unknown)
• Augusta (1771–unknown)
• Portsmouth (1794–unknown)
• Plymouth (1796–unknown)

Modern Royal Yachts: United Kingdom Era

With the formation of the United Kingdom, royal yachts became even more grand. They were used for longer journeys, including tours to different parts of the British Empire. The most famous modern royal yacht is Britannia.

Here are some notable royal yachts from the United Kingdom period:

• Royal Sovereign (1804–1849)
• William & Mary (1807–unknown)
• Royal George (1817–1842)
• Prince Regent (1820–unknown)
• Royal Charlotte (1824–1832)
• Royal Adelaide (1834–1878)
• Victoria and Albert (1843–1855): later served as Osborne (1855–1867)
• Fairy (1845–1863) (a smaller ship that supported Victoria and Albert)
• Elfin (1848–1901)
• Victoria and Albert (second ship of that name) (1855–1900)
• Alberta (1863–1913) (another support ship for Victoria and Albert)
• Osborne (1870–1908) (also supported Victoria and Albert)
• Victoria and Albert (third ship of that name) (1901–1937)
• SS Ophir (1901): a steamship rented for a royal tour of different countries
• Alexandra (1908–1925)
• RMS Medina (1911–1912): a P&O steamship rented for a royal visit to India
• Britannia (royal cutter yacht) (1893–1936)
• RMS Empress of Britain (1931–1940)
• RMS Empress of Australia (1939)
• HMS Renown (1916): used in 1920 for the Prince of Wales's tour and in 1927 by the Duke and Duchess of York to visit Australia
• HMS Vanguard (1947): a battleship that took King George VI and his family to South Africa
• Gothic (1952–1954)
• Britannia (1954–1997)

The Future of Royal Yachts

In 2021, the UK government talked about plans for a new 'ship of state'. This ship would be managed by different government departments. Its purpose would be to host trade shows, important meetings, and diplomatic talks with other countries. It would work like the old royal yachts, but with a focus on trade and diplomacy.

The new ship would be crewed by the Royal Navy. Its cost was estimated to be between £200 million and £250 million. Some reports even suggested it might be named after the late Duke of Edinburgh. However, by late 2022, there were discussions that the government might not go ahead with building the new yacht.

See also

• Royal Yacht Squadron
• Royal barge of the United Kingdom
• Royal Mews
• State and royal cars of the United Kingdom
• Air transport of the Royal Family and government of the United Kingdom
• British Royal Train
• List of imperial and royal yachts by country