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Who doesn’t love a yacht?
Having vacationed in many a seaside destination, I have seen plenty yachts of different sizes and value, but never had the privilege of seeing the opulence and splendor that exists on the interiors.
While in Edinburgh, I discovered that I could find out exactly how the Queen of England lives!
The Royal Yacht Britannia is the former royal yacht of Queen Elizabeth II, in service from 1954 until 1997 and traveling more than a million nautical miles around the globe. The now retired vessel is permanently moored in Leith, a few miles from Edinburgh’s city center and is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions.
The journey to reach the Royal Britannia was a relatively easy one. There are many different bus lines that travel from Edinburgh to Leith and as luck would have it, there was a bus stop for one of them about a block and a half away from my hotel.
As I sat in the top section of the double decker bus, I watched the weather go from bad to worse as the grey skies opened up giving the city a good washing. Good thing I would be inside, right?
The bus ride was a quick and easy one with the last stop being at the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. Following the signs through the mall, it was easy to find the entrance to the museum that preceded the ship’s visit.
Making my way through the exhibition, it was interesting to experience the many facets that made the Britannia what it was at the time, including uniforms, awards and stories about the royal family and crew.
Finally, it was time to make our way to the ship itself at 3:01 in the afternoon.
Starting from the upper level, we crossed a gangway to the ship’s control center, exploring the space where the captain navigated the high seas. We were free to explore the outdoor area, however, my theory of being indoors was shot down as a nice walk around the upper deck was out of the question with the rainy weather.
Moving downward through the attached stairwells to each if the five levels, we were able to explore both the living quarters of the royal family, including the Queen’s Bedroom and the State Dining and Drawing Rooms which hosted grand receptions for kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers throughout the world, all appointed in the rich (and sometimes flowery) style that the Queen appreciates.
The Royal yacht crossed the globe many times with a total of 696 foreign visits, only of which 272 were in British waters. From sailing the newly opened Saint Lawrence Seaway (with a stop in Chicago), to evacuating refugees during the war in Aden, the Britannia sailed 1,087,623 miles during its time in service. The ship even carried the newly married Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their honeymoon, traveling from Gibraltar, Tunisia, Sardinia, Greece and Egypt.
The crew quarters were located in the lower reaches of the ship and were a stark contrast to the spaciousness enjoyed by visitors to the ship on the upper levels. There were, however, some areas outfitted a bit more elaborately for senior members of the crew.
The crew of Royal Yachtsmen consisted of volunteers from the general service of the Royal Navy with officers being appointed for up to two years. The volunteer yachtsmen could serve for one year and then be admitted to the “Permanent Royal Yacht Service” and serve until they chose to leave or were dismissed. With that being said, many served for twenty years for more.
When the Labour Party replaced the Conservative government in 1997, it was revealed that the Royal Yacht would be retired and no replacement built. The last foreign mission of the Britannia was to convey the last governor of Hong Kong and the Prince of Wales back to Britain after Hong Kong was handed back to the People’s Republic of China on July 1, 1997.
Six months later, the Britannia was decommissioned with most of the senior members of the Royal Family in attendance.
It was said the the Queen (normally stoic) may have shed a tear. Or two.
Since being docked at the Ocean Terminal, the yacht has received more than 300,000 visitors per year and also acts as an event venue, hosting parties and affairs for the rich and famous.
While visiting, make sure to check out the Queen’s Rolls-Royce Phantom V state car and the 1936 racing yacht, Bloodhound, once owned by the Queen and Prince Philip. Also, take a few moments to visit the Royal Deck Tea Room to enjoy a scone and tea. Though I am not a fan of tea, I was able to enjoy the hand-crafted beer, brewed specifically for the Royal Deck Tea Room.
But be sure to be there at 3:01.
It won’t be hard.
Why?
It’s always 3:01 on the ship’s clocks as this was the time that the Queen last disembarked.
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Royal Yacht Brittania
- https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk
- Address: Ocean Dr, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ, UK
- Hours: April to October, 0930-1630, daily. November to March, 1000-1530, daily.
- Admission: Adult, £16.50, Student and Ages 60+, £14.50, Children (ages 5-17), £8.75, Children under 5, free, Family (2 adults and 3 children), £46.00