renovation yacht britannia

What Happened to the Royal Yacht Britannia?

The Crown season five begins and ends with the same plot point: The Royal Yacht Britannia. The vessel serves as a—fairly obvious—metaphor in the first episode, where Imelda Staunton’s Queen Elizabeth describes it as “a floating, seagoing version of me.” The problem with her metaphorical marine self? It’s in desperate need of multi-million dollar repairs. 

She asks British prime minister John Major, played by Jonny Lee Miller, whether the government might be able to help foot the bill. He, in turn, asks if the royal family might front the cost, given the public pushback they both might receive if such a seemingly extravagant project was approved. In the final episode of the season (a note to the reader: spoilers will follow), Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth agree to decommission the yacht after Prince Charles’s trip to Hong Kong.

The Crown is known for taking much of its plot material from real-life events. In the case of the Royal Yacht Britannia, though—what really happened to the boat, and how much political controversy did it really cause?

To go back to the beginning, King George VI first commissioned the royal yacht that would become the Britannia in 1952. It was an exciting project, as the previous official boat had belonged to Queen Victoria, and was rarely used. (Queen Victoria, for one, did not like the water and never sailed.) Then, during the early 20th century, England was mostly at war, and making a massive, slow-sailing luxury ship would be a massive security risk in international waters. 

The Royal Yacht Britannia, George decided, should both be an extravagant vessel and a functional one, able to double as a hospital if times of war were to arise again. In 1953, the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth christened the ship with a bottle of wine, as champagne was still seen as too extravagant post-war. In 1954, she set sail for the first time.

The Royal Yacht fulfilled many functions, most of them leisurely. Over the years, the boat hosted four royal honeymoons, including that of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, as well as many family vacations. In 1969, after his investiture as the Prince of Wales, Charles hosted an intimate party on board to celebrate. (Newspapers at the time wrote that he danced with his dear friend Lucia Santa Cruz —the very person who eventually introduced him to Camilla Parker Bowles.)

It also served as a grandiose mode of transport for many royal visits. In 1959, for example, Britannia sailed to Chicago to celebrate the recently-opened St. Lawrence seaway in Canada, and President Eisenhower joined her on board. Twenty years later, she sailed to Abu Dhabi for her first official visit to the United Arab Emirates, where she held a grand dinner for Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

And although Queen Elizabeth's reign was not during wartime, the royal yacht did execute a humanitarian mission, as King George VI had always planned for: In 1986, it sailed to Aden to evacuate over 1,000 refugees from the civil war in Yemen.

The New York Times once described the 412-foot Britannia as “an ordinary yacht what Buckingham Palace is to the house next door.” It wasn’t an exaggeration—Britannia was essentially a floating palace. It had a drawing room, a dining room, two sitting rooms, as well as galleys and cabins for all the officers. The stateroom interiors were just as ornate as any other royal estate, while the bedrooms—which all had their own bathrooms and dressing rooms—were designed to feel surprisingly personal. 

“Within the royal apartments, however, the regal elegance gives way to the homey, patched elbow chic of an English country house, with flowered chintz slipcovers, family photographs, and rattan settees, interspersed with the occasional relic of Empire—shark's teeth from the Solomon Islands here, a golden urn commemorating Nelson's victory at Trafalgar there,” the New York Times found when it boarded the ship in 1976.

The cost of running Britannia was always an issue. Politicians raised questions about its financial value as far back as 1954, when two MPs lobbied for an investigation on why the yacht’s refurbishment would cost 5.8 million pounds, accusing the royal family of waste and extravagance. A government committee later dismissed the accusations. In 1994, the Conservative government ruled the yacht too costly to refurbish, when repairs came in at a whopping 17 million, but then briefly walked back on their decision a few years later. 

However, when Tony Blair’s Labour government won the election, and the new government once again declined to pay for Britannia. Britannia’s final journey was to far-flung Hong Kong in 1997, as Prince Charles turned over the British colony back to the Chinese at the end of Britain's 99-year lease. When they finally decommissioned the boat that summer, the queen cried—one of the few times she’s shown emotion in public. The boat had logged over one million nautical miles.

Today, Britannia sits permanently docked in Edinburgh. Visitors can take tours of its grand galleys, or even rent it out for events. Yet, despite its retirement, the concept of the royal yacht lives on: In 2021, Boris Johnson floated the idea of a new boat. However, a mere eight days ago, Rishi Sunak has scrapped the project—showing that, even now, the concept remains a controversial one.

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P&O Cruises Unveil New Britannia Refurbishment

P&O Cruises’ beloved Britannia has embarked on a new journey from Southampton. Showcasing its stunning multi-million-pound refurbishment. The first guests were treated to the ship’s newly revamped spaces and experiences this past weekend.

10 Year Anniversary

In preparation for Britannia’s 10th anniversary celebration cruise in 2025 , the ship underwent extensive upgrades completed earlier this month. The Britannia refurbishment introduced a refreshed colour scheme across public spaces, suites, and cabins, expanded the Loyalty and Cruise Sales area, enhanced the Market Café’s dining options, and significantly improved crew quarters.

Drawing inspiration from its sister ships, Iona and Arvia. Britannia’s Sunset Bar now features a warm colour palette and additional seating. The children’s splash area also received a vibrant makeover, complete with interactive water features.

A notable highlight is the introduction of Snowflake’s luxurious gelato-filled doughnuts at sea. Guests can indulge in flavours such as chocolate, strawberry, sea-salted caramel, praline, and vanilla, each encased in a freshly baked doughnut and topped with a choice of delicious coverings.

Where will Britannia go?

The much-anticipated 10th anniversary celebration cruise will set sail on June 6, 2025, from Southampton, offering an enchanting journey through the British Isles . The itinerary includes stops in Edinburgh (Newhaven), Kirkwall, Stornoway, Belfast, an overnight stay in Liverpool, and Cork (Cobh). More details about the cruise, including special guest entertainers and other surprises, will be unveiled as the date approaches.

Paul Ludlow, President of P&O Cruises, expressed his enthusiasm:

Britannia is our flagship, and with her 10th anniversary celebration cruise next summer, we know the importance of ensuring the ship looks its absolute best to deliver an elevated experience for our new and loyal guests.

Britannia’s recent makeover ensures that this flagship ship continues to offer an unparalleled cruising experience, blending classic elegance with modern luxury. As anticipation builds for the 10th anniversary celebration cruise, guests can look forward to an unforgettable voyage filled with new features and timeless charm.

To book your own cruise aboard Britannia, call us on 02380 658 386 or start your search here.

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Flagship royal yacht scrapped as government spending cuts loom in autumn statement

Ben Wallace told the Commons he has terminated the competition to build the £200m vessel ahead of the 17 November statement from the chancellor.

Political reporter @NifS

Monday 7 November 2022 18:19, UK

A contentious plan to build a new royal yacht has been scrapped, the defence secretary has confirmed.

The successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was expected to cost around £200m, was announced by Boris Johnson in May 2021 .

Mr Johnson, the prime minister at the time, said it would reflect "the UK's burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation" after Brexit.

The flagship was going to be named after the late Duke of Edinburgh , and used to host trade fairs, ministerial summits and diplomatic talks as the UK sought to build links and boost exports.

Speaking in the Commons today, Ben Wallace, whose department was due to fund the project , told MPs he was prioritising the procurement of the multirole ocean surveillance ship (MROSS) instead and had cancelled the competition to build the boat.

"In the face of the Russian illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and Putin's reckless disregard of international arrangements designed to keep world order, it is right that we prioritise delivering capabilities which safeguard our national infrastructure," he said.

The building of the multimillion-pound vessel had been heavily criticised by MPs and peers over whether it was value for money, especially after the public purse had been squeezed during the pandemic.

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Last year, the Commons Defence Committee warned there was "no evidence of the advantage to the Royal Navy of acquiring the national flagship" and that the price tag, as well as running costs, would add to the pressure on the service.

Shadow defence secretary John Healey welcomed the scrapping of the "previous prime minister's vanity project" and that spending was being given to "purposes that will help defend the country".

Its cancellation comes ahead of an autumn statement on 17 November , in which Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, and Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor are expected to announce a raft of spending cuts to fill in the £60bn black hole in the public finances.

The pair have been tight-lipped about what other measures will be introduced, and whether commitments such as the pensions triple lock will be kept in place.

Both have promised the announcements will be "compassionate" to those most in need.

Asked about the prime minister's perspective of scrapping the boat, Mr Sunak's official spokesman said he "thinks it is right to prioritise at a time when difficult spending decisions need to be made" and "finances are tight".

Mr Wallace told MPs he would hold talks with Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt this week in an attempt to secure funding to "protect our armed forces and our current plans from inflation" in the upcoming statement.

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P&O Cruises' Britannia sets sail after extensive refurbishment

P&O Cruises UK 's flagship Britannia left from Southampton on April 21st following an extensive multimillion drydock refurbishment .

The company recently announced that Britannia will be featured in its travel agent ship visit schedule, offering 3 opportunities for visits.

Completed earlier this month, the refurb prepares the vessel for its upcoming 10th-anniversary celebration cruise on June 6, 2025.

The upgrades encompass various areas of the ship, including public spaces, all staterooms, as well as an extension of the loyalty desk and cruise sales area. Additionally, enhancements have been made to the Market Cafe, and a substantial investment has been allocated for crew areas. The children's splash area has been revamped with interactive water features. Furthermore, the capacity of the Sunset Bar has been increased with extra seating, incorporating design elements from P&O UK's newest ships ( Iona and Arvia ).

Paul Ludlow (the company's President and CEO) said Britannia was their flagship, and with her 10th anniversary celebration cruise next summer they knew the importance of ensuring the vessel looked "its absolute best to deliver an elevated experience" for their new and loyal guests.