HMY Britannia

HMY Britannia is a former royal yacht now permanently moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh. Built at John Brown & Co. in Clydebank, she served the monarchy from 1954 to 1997. During her 43 years she steamed over one million nautical miles, calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries. The yacht was designed by the Department of Naval Construction under Sir Victor Shepheard, with stabilisers fitted to keep motion comfortable. Three tall masts—each over 36 metres—allowed her to pass under bridges with hinged tops. Britannia carried the Queen and other royals on 696 foreign visits and hosted presidents Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. In 1973 Princess Anne and Mark Phillips took their honeymoon cruise, while Charles and Diana did the same in 1981. The ship also evacuated over 1,000 refugees from Aden in 1986 and completed the final handover voyage from Hong Kong in 1997. A Royal Marines band detachment sailed whenever she was away from home port. Visitors board through the same gangway used by royalty and walk through the state apartments and crew quarters. The Sun Lounge retains the Queen’s personal furniture and china, while the bridge shows the original wheel and engine telegraphs. Outside, the quarterdeck offers views over the Firth of Forth and the Edinburgh skyline. The ship’s gleaming white hull and polished teak decks stand in contrast to the working dock below.