THE Queen had many royal residencies, but one in particular had a special place in her heart – her luxury Royal Yacht Britannia.
The 400-foot-long floating palace served as the official royal yacht of the British monarchy for four decades – and features in the latest season of The Crown.
The Queen And Prince Philip Waving On Board Royal Yacht Britannia During An Official Visit To Kuwait
The colossal ship was the late monarch’s favourite royal residence
The Queen shed a tear as she left the yacht for the last time in 1997
Britannia provided the perfect Royal residence for glittering state visits, official receptions, Royal honeymoons and relaxing family holidays
In the opening scene in the first episode Claire Foy, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1 and 2, was seen launching the ship a month before her coronation in 1953.
She tells the crowd: “I hope this brand-new vessel, like your brand-new queen, will prove to be dependable and constant, capable of weathering any storm”.
And it did, for 44 years, with the Queen growing to love it for one key reason – once on the yacht with her family the Queen was well and truly off the clock.
The late monarch once famously said: “Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax.”
The colossal boat was a place where the family could escape the watchful eye of the public, and the Queen preferred the slow mode of transport as it gave her time to decompress.
The family used it for annual jaunt to the west coast of Scotland – a trip which would take two weeks rather than a quick 90 minute flight.
The fifth season of The Crown examines the Queen’s relationship with the boat – and The Queen’s sadness at its deterioration.
By 1997 the ship, which had been launched in 1953, had become too costly to run.
When the new Labour government was elected in 1997 a replacement was not ordered.
After making one last voyage to Hong Kong to convey the colony’s last governor, Chris Patten, and the Prince of Wales for the territory’s hand-over, the ship sailed back to Britain.
Here it was decommissioned in a ceremony during which the Queen shed a tear for her beloved yacht.
However Brits can still go to see the Queen’s “favourite” home – with some 300,000 visiting every year.
It is berthed in Ocean Terminal in Leith docks and is open every day except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Brits can survey the whole ship and experience it just as countless world leaders have, including Sir Winston Churchill, Boris Yeltsin, Rajiv Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.
The boat earned the nickname ‘The Floating Palace’
