HMY Britannia. Construction[edit] HMY Britannia was built at the shipyard of John Brown & Co.
Ltd in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Great Britain, being launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 16 April 1953, and commissioned on 11 January 1954. The ship was designed with three masts, a 133-foot (41 m) foremast, a 139-foot (42 m) mainmast, and a 118-foot (36 m) mizzenmast. The top aerial on the foremast and the top 20 feet (6.1 m) of the mainmast were hinged, to allow the ship to pass under bridges. Britannia was designed to be converted into a hospital ship in time of war,[2][3] although this capability was never used.
Crew[edit] The Royal Yacht Britannia Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland. After an active lifetime in which she sailed over a million miles, the Royal Yacht Britannia is one of the world's best known ships.
Britannia was launched at John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank on 16 April 1953 and she was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base on 11 December 1997 in the presence of the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and fourteen senior members of The Royal Family. During the intervening 44 years she carried the Queen and the Royal Family on 968 official voyages in almost every part of the globe. Britannia was the 83rd, and last, Royal Yacht in a tradition that dated back to 1660 and the gift of the Mary by the people of Amsterdam to King Charles II.
Thankfully another old tradition, of sinking Royal Yachts at sea after they had been decommissioned, was not followed, and instead the Government invited proposals from UK cities interested in providing Britannia with a suitable home. A visit to Britannia is a superb experience. The Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh - Edinburgh. Experience Scotland's Best Visitor Attraction.
Follow in the footsteps of Royalty and explore this floating Royal residence with a fascinating audio tour of five decks (available in 27 different languages). The Royal Yacht Britannia played host to some of the world’s most famous people, but above all was home for the British Royal Family for over 40 years. Now berthed in Leith, Edinburgh, you can discover the heart and soul of this most special of Royal residences.
You'll receive a truly warm welcome at Britannia's Visitor Centre in Ocean Terminal before you step aboard this famous ship. HMY BRITANNIA built by John Brown Clydebank Clydebuilt Ships Database. Built by John Brown Clydebank, Yard No 691 Last Name: BRITANNIAPropulsion: Steam turbine 12000hpLaunched: Thursday, 16/04/1953Built: 1953Ship Type: Royal YachtShip's Role: Visitor AttractionTonnage: 3990 grt | 4960 dispLength: 413 feetBreadth: 55 feetDraught: 15 feetOwner History:Royal NavyStatus: Static Role - 2003www.royalyachtbritannia.co.ukRemarks: Berthed at Leith operated by The Former Royal Yacht Britannia Trust Previous update by Paul Strathdee Photo supplied by Michael Campbell For additional picture of varous Clyde visits by Britannia click on 'View pictures here' link below.
Previous update by Paul Strathdee Last updated: by Stuart Cameron from the original records by Stuart Cameron View pictures here Press Back on your Browser to return to Search Results. HMY Britannia. HMY Britannia left for her last tour of various ports from Portsmouth before being paid off on 11th December 1997.
She had been in service 43 years and for all that time she was based in Portsmouth. She has played key roles in many events and just her being present takes the pride of Britain to where ever she is. The gleam of Britannia's hull was maintained by dry docking her every six months and painting her. She was given eight coats of paint. There would have to be a line of men painting as the hull had to dry all at once to stop streaks and give her the reflective finish which she has. HMY Britannia's displacement was 3,990 tons with a light load and 4,961 with a full load.
This section has been split into different pages as there is so much to include to do with Britannia and her association with Portsmouth her home port for 43 years. Royal Yacht Britannia - A Top Tourist Attraction in Edinburgh : Royal Yacht Britannia. Learn All About Life Aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia : Royal Yacht Britannia. Britannia was launched from the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank on 16 April, 1953.
For over 44 years she served the Royal Family, travelling over one million miles to become the most famous ship in the world. To Her Majesty The Queen, Britannia proved to be the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits, official receptions, royal honeymoons and relaxing family holidays. For Great Britain, she was a majestic symbol of the Commonwealth and a proud ambassador. The Monarchy Today > Ceremony and symbol > Transport > Royal Yacht BRITANNIA. Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith Docks. Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre Edinburgh.
QUEEN LAUNCHES NEW ROYAL YACHT "BRITANNIA" <div id="videoNoJS">Please ensure you have JavaScript turned on and have the latest version of <a href=" target="_blank">Adobe Flash</a> installed</div> Star Item queen-launches-new-royal-yacht-britannia Description River Clyde Ship building yards, Scotland.
Angle shot pan down bow of ship. More Angle shot pan down bow of ship. . ( Uncut Neg "L") (Orig "G") Selected originals exist for this item - see other records. less. In pictures: Royal Yacht Britannia at 60. BRITANNIA the British Royal Yacht. 1953: Queen launches Royal Yacht Britannia. 1953: Queen launches Royal Yacht Britannia Thousands of wellwishers greeted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh when they arrived at Clydeside to launch the new royal yacht, Britannia.
The Queen, who is to be crowned in June, named the ship at a ceremony at the Clydebank yard of John Brown and Co. In spite of heavy rain, more than 30,000 people came to hear Her Majesty say: "I name this ship Britannia. " The rest of her speech was drowned out by deafening cheers from the 30,000-strong crowd, mostly employees of the shipbuilders and their families. They sang Rule Britannia accompanied by a band. Visit to Dumbarton Castle The Queen and Duke had a busy schedule prior to the naming ceremony. List of Royal Yachts of the United Kingdom. Ships[edit] * Not HMY Notes[edit] References[edit] Madge, Tim (1997).
Pay for your own yacht, PM tells Queen. The Queen sheds a tear at the decommissioning of the Britannia in Portsmouth in 1997.
Britannia once ruled the waves, but the British government won't waive its austerity rules to pay for a replacement for the royal yacht, Britannia. British Prime Minister David Cameron says he supports the idea of the Queen having a new royal yacht to celebrate 60 years on the throne — as long as the public doesn't have to pay for it. The conservative leader's statement came after Education Secretary Michael Gove told MPs yesterday that he wrote to Mr Cameron last year urging him to support the idea of a "future ship project" that would serve as an educational centre as well as a vessel for the royal family.
The Britannnia's last trip before it was decommissioned in 1997. Why Tony Blair wished he hadn't made the Queen cry. By Robert Hardman Updated: 09:06 GMT, 27 September 2011 On many of her long trips abroad, the Queen could look forward to the reassuring prospect of going home each night; not to a palace, of course, but to her own small ship with its familiar faces. Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia was certainly not palatial. ‘There was a magic about Britannia which had nothing to do with magnificence, because she wasn’t a magnificent ship,’ says Lord Hurd, former Tory Foreign Secretary, whose ocean-going tours with the Queen were the ‘most pleasant’ moments of his Foreign Office career. Duke of Edinburgh slams move to decommission the Royal Yacht Britannia.
The Duke of Edinburgh has criticised the decision to decommission the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was taken out of service after 43 years in 1997. Interviewed by broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh to mark his 90th birthday, the Duke is asked what his feelings were when the yacht was decommissioned. He answers: "Sad. " Asked if he thought it was the right thing to do, he replies: "No. " Titchmarsh asks: "What do you think should have happened? " The Duke replies: "She should have had her steam turbines taken out and diesel engines put in. Prince Philip tells Titchmarsh for an ITV1 documentary how his interest in design led to his involvement in the design of Britannia, a vessel which was both an ambassador for Britain and the Royal family's home from home.
'Floating bunker' plan to help Queen escape nuclear attack.