royal yacht britannia and dinner

We've noticed that you're using an out of date browser. We recommend that you update to the latest version to enhance your browsing experience.

Availability Search for  The Royal Yacht Britannia

Terms & conditions.

This booking system and any information appearing on this page relating to the availability of any accommodation is provided by third parties and not by VisitScotland. It is intended to provide real time availability information relating to accommodation which is also provided by third parties. You may use this booking system to place direct bookings with third party accommodation providers. Any booking you make will not be placed with VisitScotland and we will have no liability to you in respect of any booking. If you proceed to make a booking you will leave our Website and visit a website owned and operated by a third party. VisitScotland does not have any control over the content or availability of any external website. This booking system and any information appearing on this page is provided for your information and convenience only and is not intended to be an endorsement by VisitScotland of the content of such linked websites, the quality of any accommodation listed, or of the services of any third party.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Experience Tripadvisor's Best UK Attraction 2023. Follow in the footsteps of Royalty and explore this floating Royal residence with a fascinating audio tour of five decks (available in over 30 languages).

Tripadvisor's Best UK Attraction 2023, Best UK Attraction (Which magazine readers) and Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Best of the Best award winner 

Please note due to the upcoming construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, Britannia will be closed 11 - 23 March and 25 - 28 June. 

Visit this award-winning attraction, just two miles from Edinburgh's city centre at Ocean Terminal.  The Royal Yacht Britannia played host to some of the world’s most famous people, from Nelson Mendela to Winston Churchill, but above all was home for the British Royal Family for over 40 years. Now 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 before you board this famous ship where you will discover the history of Royal Yachts and view displays and historical photographs of Britannia's fascinating past before boarding Queen Elizabeth II's former floating palace.

What will you see?

• Tour Britannia’s five decks
• Feel like the captain of the ship in the Bridge
• Follow in the footsteps of Royalty through the State Apartments
• See Queen Elizabeth II's favourite room- the Sun Lounge
• Discover below decks in the Crew’s Quarters
• Admire a tour highlight, the gleaming Engine Room
• Take in the Royal Sailing Exhibition
• Enjoy soups, sandwiches, cakes and scones in the Royal Deck Tearoom and admire the stunning waterfront views.

The tour is available in:

• Audio handset tour, available in over 30 languages
• Children’s audio tour
• Audio tour for those with sight loss
• ASL and BSL tablet
• Braille script ​​​​​​ ​​​​​

Complete the Britannia experience with a visit to the  Gift Shop in Ocean Terminal, where you’ll find exclusive Britannia souvenirs, china, toys, gifts and nautical items.

Berthed just moments away, Britannia's sister ship, floating hotel Fingal, offers 22 luxurious cabins inspired by the former Northern Lighthouse Board tender's rich maritime heritage. For further information, visit Fingal's website .

HELPFUL INFORMATION:

-  Please note that due to upcoming construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, Britannia will be closed 11 - 23 March and 25 - 28 June. -  All weather experience -  Highly accessible for wheelchair users, single buggies and those with limited mobility. Read our accessibility statement here . -  Free Annual Pass for 12 months admission included -  The entrance to Britannia is via our Visitor Centre on the 2nd floor of Ocean Terminal shopping centre.

How to get here?

By tram: Take the tram to stop 'Ocean Terminal' (Newhaven direction).

By bus: Majestic Tour Bus and Lothian Buses 10, 16, 34 and 35 run from the city centre towards Ocean Terminal. Majestic Tour buses depart regularly from Waterloo Place / St Andrew Square in the centre of Edinburgh. The Majestic Tour is operated by Edinburgh Bus Tours .

By train:  Arrive in the city centre at Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, just 2 miles from Britannia. 

By car: Follow signs to Edinburgh and Leith or North Edinburgh. Then follow brown tourist signs for Britannia. Free car parking at Ocean Terminal (level E is nearest). For satnav our postcode is EH6 6JJ. Go inside the shopping centre for Britannia’s visitor centre and the start of the tour. By plane: Britannia is approximately 40 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh Airport.

For further information on finding Britannia, please see here .  

OPENING TIMES

Please check the Britannia website for full opening times and prices. EVENING EVENTS Exclusive dinners and receptions can be hosted on board. Call our events team on +44 (0) 131 555 8800 and see how we can create your event of a lifetime, or visit the events section of our website .

PRIVATE TOURS A private tour on board The Royal Yacht Britannia is an exclusive experience, giving you access to Britannia’s five decks, and a unique insight into the history of the Royal Yacht and how the Royal Family and crew lived and worked on board. Both Morning and Evening tours are available. Call our events team on +44 (0) 131 555 8800 or for more information visit click here . PRESERVING BRITANNIA Britannia is cared for by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust , a self-funding charity registered in Scotland (SC028070). By visiting Britannia you will be helping us to preserve this important piece of history for future generations.

www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk See our reviews on Tripadvisor Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Instagram

View our videos on YouTube

Transport and Parking

• On Public Transport Route
• Public Parking Nearby

Accessibility

• Hearing Loop
• Accessible Parking Or Drop-off Point
• Lift or stairlift
• Large print, braille or audio
• Level Access
• Wheelchair access throughout
• Accessible toilets
• Wheelchairs or mobility aids provided
• Suitable for visitors with limited mobility

Dietary Options

• Gluten Free

Typical Prices

• Baby Changing Facilities
• Public Toilet Facilities
• Lunch Available
• Licensed Bar
• Cafe or Restaurant

Payment Methods

• American Express
• Diners Card
• Credit Card
• Coastal Location
• Sea/Loch View

Awards & Schemes

Related items of interest

• Sailing on Royal Racing Yacht Bloodhound

Cookies are required to view this content. Change your preferences at Manage Cookie Settings

The content of many of our web listings is provided by third party operators and not VisitScotland. VisitScotland accepts no responsibility for (1) any error or misrepresentation contained in third party listings, and (2) the contents of any external links within web listings ((1) and (2) together hereinafter referred to as the "Content"). VisitScotland excludes all liability for loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on the Content. The Content is provided for your information only and is not endorsed by VisitScotland.

What's Nearby

Accommodation, attractions, food & drink, terms and conditions.

The Royal Yacht Britannia Has a Fascinating History—Here's Everything You Should Know

It doesn't get more majestic than Queen Elizabeth II's yacht.

Seventy years ago, the Britannia began its journey as the royal yacht for Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family of the United Kingdom. Over the next 44 years she’d travel more than a million nautical miles and, in all her glamour and old world elegance, served as a residence that welcomed state visits from all over the world and family holidays alike. Then and now, she was and is a majestic symbol of the British Commonwealth and the reign of Queen Elizabeth II .

“Britannia is special for a number of reasons,” Prince Phillip once said. “Almost every previous sovereign has been responsible for building a church, a castle, a palace or just a house. The only comparable structure in the present reign is Britannia. As such she is a splendid example of contemporary British design and technology.”

Although she retired from service in 1997, today the Britannia, one of many of the world's grandest yachts , is docked in Edinburgh, where she is open as a visitors’ attraction and host of private events. Below we give you all the Royal Yacht Britannia facts you might want to know, from who owns the yacht now to why she was decommissioned to how fast she is to how to get tickets to visit. Britannia was, after all, the one place the queen said she could “truly relax,” so why not see why for yourself?

Royal Yacht Britania Facts and History

On February 4, 1952, John Brown & Co shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, received the order from the Admiralty to build a new Royal Yacht to travel the globe and double as a hospital ship in times of war, according to the royal yacht's website . King George VI passed away two days after, sadly, and so on April 16, 1953, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II announced the yacht’s new name as the ship was revealed.

"I name this ship Britannia,” she said. “I wish success to her and all who sail in her." Britannia was commissioned into the Royal Navy in January 1954 and by April of that year sailed into her first overseas port: Grand Harbour, Malta.

The queen and The Duke of Edinburgh worked with interior designer Sir Hugh Casson for the ship to serve as both a functional Royal Navy vessel and an elegant royal residence. Queen Elizabeth II selected deep blue for Britannia’s hull, instead of the more traditional black. Its Naval crew included 220 Yachtsmen, 20 officers, and three season officers—plus a Royal Marines Band of 26 men during Royal Tours.

All of them might have had to change uniform up to six times a day, so the laundry service on board worked nonstop. The yacht also engaged in British overseas trade missions known as Sea Days and made an estimated £3 billion for the Exchequer between 1991 and 1995 alone.

The ship’s wheel was taken from King Edward VII’s racing yacht, also named Britannia, according to Boat International , and the 126-meter ship could reach speeds of 22.75 knots, or a seagoing cruising speed of 21 knots, according to Super Yacht Times . Other fun facts: The yacht could produce her own fresh water from sea water, and shouting was forbidden aboard to preserve tranquility, favoring hand signals for Naval orders instead.

Over the next 44 years, the Britannia would sail the equivalent of once around the world for each year, in total visiting 600 ports in 135 countries. Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones were the first of four couples to honeymoon on the ship in 1960, gifting them all privacy to sail to secluded locations. Prince Charles and Princess Diana followed in 1981 on the Mediterranean as well as Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips before them in 1973 in the Caribbean and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986 in the Azores.

For family vacations aboard the ship, games, treasure hunts, plays, and picnics were organized, and on warm days the children could play in an inflatable paddling pool on the Verandah Deck.

In the Sun Lounge, the queen especially enjoyed taking breakfast and afternoon tea with views through large picture windows, a space you can see replicated in the TV show The Crown. Although no filming took place on board the Britannia for the show, researchers ensured scenes aboard it were accurate. In the queen’s bedroom, the resemblance is seen down to the decorative wall light fittings and embroidered silk panel above her bed that had been specially commissioned.

In 1997, the ship was decommissioned after the government decided the costs to refit it would be too great. On its final day in her service that followed a farewell tour around the U.K., the queen openly wept as the Band of HM Royal Marines played "Highland Cathedral."

"Looking back over 44 years we can all reflect with pride and gratitude upon this great ship which has served the country, the Royal Navy and my family with such distinction," Queen Elizabeth II said. All clocks on the ship stopped at 15:01, the exact time the Queen disembarked from the yacht for the final time, and they would remain at that time until the present.

How to Tour the Royal Yacht Britania

Today the yacht is owned by Royal Yacht Britannia Trus t, and all revenue it generates goes to the yacht’s maintenance and preservation. Ticketed entry allows you to step into state rooms like the Sun Lounge, the State Dining Room and State Drawing Room, in addition to the working side of the ship in the Crew’s Quarters, Laundry and gleaming Engine Room. Along the way you will see original artifacts from the shop—95 percent of which is on loan from The Royal Collection.

How to Visit the Royal Britania

You can visit the Britannia any day of the year on Edinburgh’s waterfront. Hours vary by season, and you can find them listed and purchase tickets on the yacht’s website . Private tours are also available, and you can visit the Royal Deck Tearoom, where the Royal Family hosted cocktail parties and receptions, for drinks, meals and scones. Additionally, the Britannia hosts special ticketed events for New Year’s and other occasions, and event spaces can be booked as well.

While you are in Edinburgh, you can also stay on the Fingal , a neighboring yacht-turned-floating-hotel, which is a seven-minute walk from the Britannia, and dine at its Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar, which serves breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner, and cocktails.

The 12 Best Luxury Luggage Pieces of 2024

How to Spend a Perfect Weekend on 30A

The Most Remote Destinations on Earth

How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Jackson Hole

The Most Expensive Luxury AirBnBs in the World

The 15 Best Travel Purses to Carry You in Style

Paris's Most Beautiful Churches and Cathedrals

How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona

Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris’s Left Bank

11 Places in the U.S. to Learn About Black History

The 8 Best Luxury Babymoon Destinations

Photos show what it's like onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, the queen's 'floating palace' that she took on lavish vacations

• The Royal Yacht Britannia was the royal family's private yacht from 1953 to 1997.
• It's five stories tall, had more than 240 staff, and was known as the queen's "floating palace."
• Britannia is now anchored in Leith, Scotland, and reopens as a tourist attraction on May 12.

For 44 years, the Royal Yacht Britannia carried the queen and members of the royal family around the world.

Source: Royal Yacht Britannia

Built in 1953, it logged more than 1 million miles and became known as the queen's "floating palace."

The five-story ship was part royal residence and part Royal Navy ship, with a full-time staff of more than 240 royal yachtsmen and officers.

The queen traveled on the ship for tours abroad, during which she would meet with dignitaries both on land and onboard.

She also used it for vacations like the royal family's annual summer cruise to the Western Isles of Scotland.

The queen once said that "Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax."

Four royal couples used the ship for their honeymoons, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.

In 1997, the Labour government decommissioned the ship, citing costs as a primary reason. The Britannia cost about £11 million to run each year, Reuters reported.

Source: Royal Yacht Britannia , Reuters

While the queen has yet to build a new yacht, that wasn't the end of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

One year later, it opened as a public museum in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The ship is set to reopen on May 12, almost six months after it closed in November due to the pandemic.

Source: Royal Yacht Britannia , BBC

Visitors will be able to step into spaces like the teak-lined sun lounge, the queen's favorite room, where she took her breakfast and afternoon tea.

The queen's bedroom, featuring a vanity table, writing desk, and twin bed, is also on display. The queen and Prince Philip slept separately while onboard the Britannia.

The largest room on the ship is the state dining room, where the queen entertained dignitaries like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher. The room could fit 56 guests.

Nearby is the state drawing room, which served as a place for the royal family to relax as well as a reception area for guests.

Toward the front of the ship are rooms where the staff lived and operated, like the 24-hour laundry room. Here, yachtsmen and officers would change outfits up to six times per day.

The former royal yachtsmen, known as "yotties," now reunite annually to help maintain the ship.

The clocks on the Royal Yacht Britannia don't get touched. They are permanently stopped at 3:01 p.m., the time when the queen stepped off the ship for the last time.

Prince Philip once said that the ship occupies a unique place in royal history. "Almost every previous sovereign has been responsible for building a church, a castle, a palace, or just a house," he said, according to the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. "The only comparable structure in the present reign is Britannia."

Our Royal Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and announcements about the British royal family, direct from Insider's royal reporters. Join here.

• Main content

Find anything you save across the site in your account

The Royal Yacht Britannia : A History of Queen Elizabeth II’s Favorite Palace

By Lisa Liebman

The christening of The Royal Yacht Britannia serves as a cheeky season opener to  The Crown . Black-and-white Pathé News–style footage shows a soon-to-be-crowned Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) cheered on by shipbuilders as she launches her new 412-foot yacht. “I hope that this brand-new vessel, like your brand-new queen, will prove to be dependable and constant. Capable of weathering any storm,” she says about the royal replacement for the  Victoria and Albert III . By the series’ season finale, set 44 years later, both the sovereign and the floating palace she christened  Britannia will have hit rough seas—the cost of repairing the creaky old vessel and the modern role of the monarchy both in question. Ultimately, the yacht that undertook 968 official voyages all over the world, hosting dignitaries—including 13 US presidents—at receptions and banquets, was dry-docked near Edinburgh, Scotland, where it continues to be a popular tourist attraction. Here are some of the most buoyant facts about the palace the Queen famously said was “the one place where I can truly relax.”

The sun room on the Royal Yacht Britannia as photographed in 1981. 

In a nod to the country’s post-war austerity, Elizabeth scaled back the design of the ship that her father, King George VI, had commissioned just two days before he died. Rather than following the opulent plan laid out by the Scottish firm McInnes Gardner & Partners, she opted for the understated elegance envisioned by architect Sir Hugh Casson, who described “running a lawn mower over the Louis XVIl adornments” in favor of simple white walls, lilac-gray carpeting, and “a bit of gilding in grand places.” Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip, were said to have personally chosen the furniture—much of it, including linens, recycled from the  Victoria and Albert —fabrics (florals, chintz, toile), and paintings. 

Prince Charles and Princess Diana on board the Royal Yacht Britannia as they prepare to depart on their honeymoon cruise in 1981.

As a former Royal Navy Commander, Prince Phillip also saw to the ship’s technical details, and his Bluebottle racing yacht inspired the Britannia ’s navy-hued hull. Outer decks were made of two-inch Burmese teak. The steering wheel was reclaimed from Britannia ’s namesake, King Edward VII’s 1893 racing yacht; a wheelhouse wheel came from George V’s racing yacht; and a gold-and-white binnacle (housing the ship’s compass) was salvaged from King George III’s yacht and installed on the Veranda deck. Fittings from former royal ships were also reused. 

The drawing room on the Royal Yacht Britannia as photographed in 1978. 

The 4,000-ton yacht had a crew of 220 Royal Yachtsmen who lived on board, about 45 household staff, and occasionally a 26-member Royal Marine embarked to entertain dignitaries. The monarch often welcomed guests from the ship’s grand staircase. (Stairs leading from the Veranda to the Royal deck were sometimes transformed into a water slide for the kids.)  Britannia ’s apartments were designed like those of a first-class ocean liner. A 56-seat state dining room, where many of the gifts given to the monarch (a wood-carved shark from Pitcairn Island, a bejeweled gold statue from Bangkok) were displayed, was the scene of formal dinners with guests such as Sir Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Mandela, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. More intimate gatherings were held in the Queen’s official reception room, a smaller state drawing room with floral upholstered pieces, simple wood tables, an electric fireplace, and a Welmar baby grand piano bolted to the deck—played by everyone from Sir Noël Coward to Princesses Diana and Margaret. The teak-clad sun lounge, with rattan furniture and a toile loveseat, was Elizabeth’s favorite place—where she had her breakfast, afternoon tea, and also enjoyed her favorite Dubonnet and gin cocktails.

The Queen’s sitting room on the Royal Yacht Britannia as photographed in 1981. 

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Cindy Tannoury

By Sam Cochran

A ship elevator reserved for royal use moved between the Upper and Shelter Decks. The latter is where four Royal Apartments (bedrooms), including the Queen and Prince Phillip’s connecting compartments, were located. Hers featured florals, his had red accents. Elizabeth’s understated Upper Deck private sitting room, done in pastels and neutrals, served as the office where she conducted state business. Phillip used his sitting room, with its wood desk facing a model of his first command, the HMS Magpie , as his study. Below deck there was a wine cellar, as well as a cargo hold that could carry a barge, speed- and sailboats, plus a royal Range Rover and Rolls-Royce. The yacht could also be converted into a hospital (though it never was).

The Queen shed a tear at the decommissioning ceremony for thye Royal Yacht Britannia.

As depicted in  The Crown, Britannia ’s final official trip was to Hong Kong in 1997, where Prince Charles attended the handover of the territory to China. By then, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s administration was complaining that the £11 million a year needed to keep the boat afloat couldn’t be justified. With Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, and all of their children in attendance,  Britannia was decommissioned at a ceremony in Portsmouth, England on December 11, 1997, with the monarch seen wiping away a tear. The yacht, now docked in Leith, Scotland, is open to the public as a museum and events space. (Prior to their wedding, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips’s daughter Zara Phillips and her fiancé Mike Tindall had a celebration there.) Visitors will note that every clock on board reads 3:01, the exact time the Queen disembarked her beloved  Britannia for the final time on that December day.

By Thea Glassman

By Mak Ling Ling

By Alison McDermott

A look back at Queen Elizabeth II's best royal tour moments

The late Queen Elizabeth II arguably broke the mould when it came to royal tours abroad. Though such visits are commonplace among the royal family nowadays, the late monarch was the first Queen to ever travel the world so extensively in an official capacity, thanks to the serious advancements in travel during her reign.

This means that Elizabeth travelled to more countries abroad in an official capacity than any other royal Queen (or King) before her – in fact, it’s reported that the Queen undertook more than 200 royal visits abroad during her 70-year reign, visiting almost all of the countries in the Commonwealth at least once, and many of them numerous times.

To celebrate her many royal visits, we take a look at Queen Elizabeth's best tour moments ever; from moments of levity and fun amid serious duties, to historically and politically significant visits. These are 32 of the Queen’s best royal tour moments from across the decades.

32 of Queen Elizabeth II’s best royal tour moments

Her first commonwealth tour with philip.

One of the Queen's best royal tour moments was undoubtedly her biggest tour ever, which took place just a year after becoming monarch.

After her coronation in 1952, the Queen and Prince Philip embarked on a mammoth tour of all of the Commonwealth nations at that time, which took place across six months between November 1953 to May 1954. In that time, the monarch and her husband visited countless different places within the West Indies, Australasia, Asia and Africa, and covered an enormous 44,000 miles travelling.

Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait by Gyles Brandreth | £17.35 at Amazon 

This Sunday Times bestseller offers insights into the extraordinary life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth. Reflecting upon her childhood to her later years, Gyles Brandreth met the late monarch multiple times throughout her reign, making this account all the more personal. View Deal

Her tour to Kenya as a Princess - when she became Queen

The biggest moment of any of the Queen’s international tours occurred when she and Prince Philip were in the midst of a royal tour of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The couple made the trip in place of Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, who was considered to be too unwell to travel.

The royal couple were enjoying a brief respite from their duties when they stopped for a few days holiday at a quiet lodge (now known as the Treetops Hotel), around 100 miles from Nairobi.

However, it was here that the then-Princess Elizabeth learnt of father’s passing on 2nd February, meaning that she would be taking the throne at the age of just 25. Due to how remote the location was, the news of King George's passing took some time to reach Elizabeth and Philip, and it's reported that the young Princess was one of the last people within the hotel to find out about his death. 

Her first royal tour to the US as monarch

In 1957, Elizabeth made her very first trip abroad to the United States as the monarch of the United Kingdom. Though she had been to America before, this was her very first trip as Queen. 

During her four-day October visit, she and Prince Philip met the President at the time, Dwight D Eisenhower, at the White House, before making various visits to organisations within Washington DC. She and the Duke of Edinburgh also paid a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, and New York City, where there was a large parade for the royals on the streets.

This wasn’t the President and Elizabeth’s first meeting, however. President Eisenhower had actually met Elizabeth as a young girl – back when she was Princess Elizabeth – during a meeting with her father King George.

The Queen’s trip to Russia in 1994

In 1994, Queen Elizabeth II made a historic visit to Russia, marking the very first time that a UK monarch had ever visited the country. Making the trip following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Queen was hosted by Russia’s President at the time, Boris Yeltsin, who governed the country from 1991 to 1999. 

During a State dinner, both Elizabeth and the President acknowledged Russia’s troubled past, with Yeltsin explaining in his speech, "For Russia, this visit is the utmost recognition that our country is on the road to democracy."

The Queen concurred, making this statement in her own speech: "You and I have spent most of our lives believing that this evening could never happen. I hope that you are as delighted as I am to be proved wrong."

Queen Elizabeth remains the only UK monarch to have visited Russia during their reign. Charles did visit the country as the Prince of Wales, taking a trip to St. Petersburg in 1994, but has not returned since becoming King.

Her final return to Malta with Philip

In 2015, Elizabeth embarked on her final royal tour abroad, returning to Malta with Prince Philip – an island they had both spent lots of time in during their marriage. While this photo looks fairly unremarkable, it's one of our favourite pictures of the late monarchs because of its back story. 

At the age of 89, the Queen and 91-year-old Philip spent three days on the island during their final visit, attending the 24th CHOGM meeting – where the Queen delivered a speech praising Malta – and meeting people they had known during their time living there.

The Queen and Prince Philip spent a couple of happy years living in Malta as young newlyweds; Philip was stationed there between 1949 and 1951 as a naval officer, and it’s said to be the place where Elizabeth spent some of the most ‘normal’ years of her life, living simply as husband and wife without the pressure of their royal duties back home in the UK. So it seems very fitting that their final trip abroad together was to the place where they spent so many happy years. 

Her meeting with Ronald Reagan in 1983

The Queen had a very close friendship with former President of the United States Ronald Reagan, and further bolstered their relationship during a visit to his and his wife Nancy Reagan’s California ranch in 1983, after first hosting them at Windsor Castle in 1982. 

It was a visit that mixed both personal and professional, as the Queen and Prince Philip stayed in their ranch in the mountains of Santa Barbara, enjoying a few horseback riding ventures around the estate during their few days there.

During her trip to California, the Queen also toured a Los Angeles film studio, attended an official dinner in San Francisco hosted by Ronald and Nancy Reagan (where she delivered a speech), toured the Bay area in the Royal Yacht Britannia toured Yosemite, and visited Stanford University.

Her historic visit to India in 1961

Queen Elizabeth’s 1961 visit to India was a highly significant one, as it was the very first visit from a UK monarch following the end of the rule of the British Empire in the country.

The country gained independence in 1947, but prior to this, Elizabeth’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother were considered Emperor and Empress of India – titles which ceased to be used following the end of the Empire in India.

As such, Queen Elizabeth’s visit to India in the early 60s was significant, as it was the first time a monarch had visited without being considered as 'head' of the country. During her trip, alongside Prince Philip, she paid a visit to the Taj Mahal and to New Delhi, and attended the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. She also met with Mother Theresa, whom she presented with an honorary Order of Merit. 

Her meeting with Nelson Mandela

In 1995, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, made her first official visit to South Africa as monarch – though she had visited previously in 1947, before she became Queen. The Queen was unable to take any visits to the country before the 90s, due to the ongoing apartheid there. 

However, in 1995, Queen Elizabeth and Philip were invited by President Nelson Mandela to visit once again. Though the pair had met in Zimbabwe five years prior, this trip was the first time that Mandela had officially hosted the monarch. The visit was just a year after Mandela had been elected as President, so it was certainly a significant moment to see the meeting of two highly revered public figures.

Her trip to the races in 1970 in Sydney

Queen Elizabeth II indulged in one of the greatest passions in her life during a trip to Sydney, Australia, when she visited the Randwick Racecourse in April 1970 alongside Princess Anne.

She first visited the racecourse during her 1954 visit to the country, during which they named a race after her, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

During her second visit in the 70s, the horse Panvale won with 100/1 odds, and the apprentice jockey riding him, Peter Cook, won his first race as a jockey. To celebrate, the Queen presented Peter with his winning trophy, and appeared delighted at his early success in a sport she loved so much.

Riding an elephant in 1961 in India

During her 1961 trip to India following the breakdown of the British Empire, Queen Elizabeth II showed off her adventurous streak, opting to ride on top of an elephant in Jaipur. 

She rode the elegantly decorated elephant within the courtyard of the royal palace, alongside Sir Man Singh, the Maharajah (Prince) of Jaipur at the time. To ensure she was dressed appropriately, the Queen is seen in the picture were a regal gold outfit. What a picture!

Her tour with Princess Anne and Prince Charles in Australia

In 1970, the Queen, Prince Philip, the then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne undertook a hugely popular tour of Australia, which coincided with the centenary of Captain James Cook’s sailing of the Australian coat in 1770. 

The royal foursome drew huge crowds during the weeks-long tour, and toured around both Brisbane and Queensland whilst there, visiting the James Cook University, Green Island, the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Mount Isa and many more. While they carried out many engagements as a family, they also spent some time visiting organisations on their own; the Queen and Prince Philip, for example, visited the town of Longreach without their two eldest children.

A banquet on the floor in Tuvalu

In 1982, the Queen and her husband paid a visit to the island country of Tuvalu, in the South Pacific – the country formerly known as the Ellice Islands.

The couple spent two days in Tuvalu, during which they enjoyed a feast of traditional local dishes at a banquet which saw them seated on the floor and wearing floral headpieces; a rather unusual sight for the usually very formal Queen and her husband. 

During their trip, the royal couple also ceremonially installed a piece of concrete at a future Parliament building. To mark the visit, a range of commemorative stamps were issued by the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau. Since that visit, both King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales have visited Tuvalu too.

Meeting crowds in New Zealand in 1977

The Queen was seen beaming from ear-to-ear on a walkabout during an official visit to New Zealand in 1977, which was made to mark her Silver jubilee and 25 years since her accession to the throne. 

The Queen was accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh for this tour – and interestingly, the schedule they undertook actually mirrored that of the tour they took in 1953-1954, when Elizabeth first came to the throne, as an homage to her 25th year on the throne.

Everywhere the pair went they were greeted with adoring crowds lining the streets, ensuring it was a special moment for the royal couple.

Her significant tour of Sudan

During a time of significant political turmoil and unrest within the country, Queen Elizabeth took the time to pay an important visit to the Republic of the Sudan in February 1965.

It was a significant move due to the unrest there at the time, which many thought might make it dangerous for the UK monarch. However, it appears the Queen gladly spent a few days there and was greeted with a warm welcome, with crowds of onlookers lining the streets to say hello. 

She spent part of her time on state duties whilst there, whilst also squeezing in the chance to explore some of her interests during the trip. For example, she spent her first day at the Khartoum racecourse, before then visiting the construction of the Roseires dam. She also visited the Gezira irrigation project in Medani, which had been set up by the British government some decades earlier.

Receiving local crafts in Mexico in 1975

The Queen made two trips to Mexico during her reign, and the first took place in 1975. She toured across Yucatán, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Guanajuato and Veracruz in the space of a week, and took in a whole range of sights and activities during that time.

She and Philip arrived on the royal yacht and headed straight to Mexico City. Whilst there, they had a meeting with former President Luis Echeverría and his wife, María, before heading to Oaxaca city. While there, they spent some time in the local markets being shown creations from locals. It’s even reported that they purchased a few items themselves!

Visiting a newly-unified Germany in 1990

The Queen paid a significant visit to Germany in 1990, shortly after the unification of East and West Germany as a result of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, signalling the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union, which had occupied Germany for years. East and West Germany were officially unified on October 3, 1990, and the Queen visited towards the end of that month, at the tail-end of the political unrest.

While the Queen was largely welcomed in West Germany and had visited that area on previous tours, she met with a slightly more tense reaction when she visited Dresden in former East Germany, which had experienced more of a difficult relationship with the United Kingdom.

When she poked fun at Justin Trudeau

During her 2015 trip to Malta, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, delivering a speech to everyone gathered there. Before the meeting, the monarch and various heads of the other Commonwealth countries gathered for a State dinner, during which the then newly crowned Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, made a speech introducing Her Majesty.

During his speech, he noted that he was the 12th Canadian Prime Minister the Queen had seen during her reign – a comment which prompted a hilarious response from the lady herself. She opened her speech by saying, "Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old!"

Dancing in Ottawa in 1951

It was rare to see Queen Elizabeth being anything less than formal, such was her important royal role as monarch. 

However, in 1951, before she was Queen, she let her hair down during a royal tour of Canada with Prince Philip; her very first visit to the country. 

During a private dance event at Ottawa’s Government House in between other official duties, the then-Princess Elizabeth was seen square dancing with her husband, wearing relaxed and informal American clothing. 

The event was strictly invitation only, and largely included people from the Canadian government and their guests – but the pictures are certainly a brilliant memory of a more informal Elizabeth on a royal tour. Tony Griffin, an attendee at the event, recalls that the royal couple's dancing came quite naturally. He said that they "caught on very quickly, due in part to the pair's knowledge of Highland Dancing."

Kicking off a hockey game in Slovenia

In 2008, the Queen and Prince Philip paid a visit to Central Europe, embarking on a days-long tour of Slovakia and Slovenia in October of that year.

One of the best moments was during the couple’s last day of their visit to Slovakia when they attended an ice hockey game between Guildford Flames and the Aquacity Poprad.

Not only did the monarch look chic in a hat and a coat with a faux fur lining, but she also kicked off the game by ceremonially dropping the puck, alongside Slovakia’s Prime Minister.

Visiting Finland in 1976

Queen Elizabeth II looked happy and enthusiastic on a 1976 visit to Finland - her very first visit to the country.

She was joined by Prince Philip for this tour and as ever, it was a busy one. The couple toured the country’s capital of Helsinki and also spent time strolling around a Finnish forest. Elizabeth and her husband were officially hosted by the President at the time, Urho Kekkonen, and enjoyed an official dinner at the Presidential Palace one night, and an evening at his summer residence, too.

Waving from the royal yacht in Kuwait

Prince Philip and the Queen delighted crowds in Kuwait when they visited the country in February 1979. 

Though the pair arrived via plane (a Concord no less), they also had the Royal Yacht Britannia on hand as they travelled on their three-week tour of the Gulf.

One of the most iconic images of this royal tour is the pair waving from the deck of the royal yacht at the start of the tour in Kuwait. The royal yacht was also where they hosted the Emir Of Kuwait at the time, Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, for a dinner reception. This moment was historic for another reason too; it was the very first time in history that a British monarch had visited the country.

On a boat in Funafuti, in Tuvalu

On the Queen and Elizabeth’s trip to Tuvalu in October of 1982 – their first royal trip to the island nation – the couple travelled there and back in the Royal Yacht Britannia, which they also used to move around the island.

But the yacht was unable to dock in the shallow water around Tuvalu, so the couple were required to be transported from the yacht to the shore and back, giving us one of the best Queen Elizabeth tour moments ever. The Queen and Philip were transported on a fleet of canoes that had been elaborately decorated by the locals, with the monarch in one and her husband in another. What a great moment!

Drinking from a coconut in Kiribati

Philip and Elizabeth made sure to get stuck into the local culture when they visited Kiribati in the South Pacific in 1982. 

It was rare to ever see the Queen (or her husband) eat or drink anything while in view of the public on royal tours, so it was quite the moment to see the royal couple enjoy a sip from a coconut as part of their welcome ceremony in Tarawa, Kiribati. The couple enjoyed their drinks as they watched some traditional dancing from locals.

A visit to the Vatican to meet the Pope

The Queen visited a total of five different popes during various royal tours across her lifetime, but she arguably had a special connection with Pope John Paul II. 

One of the most significant royal tour moments of the monarch’s life was when she visited the Vatican in Rome in October 2000. The Pope and the Queen, two of the biggest figureheads of the Catholic religion, shared a private conversation before exchanging gifts in Pope John Paul II's private office in the Vatican City. Before this, she had spent time at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II back in 1980, when she also delivered a speech in front of him and members of the clergy within the room.

Relaxed in Bahrain

A brilliant image of Queen Elizabeth on one of her countless royal tours is when she was captured looking relaxed whilst leaning across a chair to talk to the Emir of Bahrain at the time, Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, whilst the pair were taking in a day of horse racing and camel racing. The picture was taken during Elizabeth and Philip’s tour of the Gulf between February and March of 1979. 

The image shows the monarch looking informal and engrossed in her conversation; a somewhat unusual picture of the Queen, as she was often seen in more formal positions, be it sat upright at a state dinner, or stating up for an audience with a Prime Minister.

On tour with King George, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother

One of the biggest royal tours of Queen Elizabeth II’s life was her 1947 tour alongside her parents, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret. It was the first time that the immediate royal family had undertaken a royal tour together as adults, and the then-Princess Elizabeth even celebrated her 21st birthday during that tour, making it a very special trip indeed.

The foursome visited an enormous 400 cities during this tour covering over 10,000 miles mostly by train. It was also the first State visit abroad from the royal family since 1939, as a result of the lack of travelling that was possible during the Second World War.

It was also on this tour that Princess Elizabeth made her now iconic speech from the grounds of Government House in Cape Town, South Africa. To mark her 21st birthday, she delivered the now world-famous line: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service."

Inspecting a guard of honour in Trinidad

On a royal tour of the Caribbean in 1996, the Queen inspected a guard of honour at the Teteron Barracks in Trinidad, a military base that formed part of Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force.

The image is strikingly similar to many taken in the UK. The Queen would often inspect UK military troops during important milestones, such as the annual Trooping the Colour celebrations.

The Queen’s visit to Trinidad & Tobago formed part of a larger, and very busy, Caribbean tour, in which she and the Duke of Edinburgh stopped in Saint Kitts & Nevis, the Bahamas, Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, and many more.

Taking a photo in Sri Lanka

Though most of her life was spent in front of the camera, on the rare occasion, Queen Elizabeth II was seen taking photographs of her own during her royal tours. One such occasion was during an October 1981 trip to Sri Lanka.

During this trip, the Queen was photographed taking a snap on her Canon Sure Shot 110 camera, one of her many beloved cameras. It wasn’t clear what she was taking a photo of, but the aim of the trip – the second of three she made during her reign – was to visit the construction of Sri Lanka’s Victoria Dam, Sri Lanka’s largest hydroelectric project, which was constructed by a UK firm.

A serious fashion moment with Anne in Vienna

In 1969, the Queen, Prince Philip, and their only daughter, Princess Anne, undertook a visit to Austria. The family started their tour in Vienna, where they visited the Spanish Riding School, took in a Horse Show, and attended a glamorous Gala Reception held by the Austrian President at the time, Franz Jonas.

But arguably the highlight of the proceedings in Vienna was when Anne, the Queen and Philip hosted a Return Banquet for the Austrian President. For the special evening, both Anne and her mother coordinated brilliantly in some fantastically glamorous outfits and tiaras.

While Anne wore a seriously chic white gown and tiara, the Queen matched her daughter in a stunning green ensemble, and the glittering Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, making for an iconic fashion moment.

Her final visit to Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth undertook her final tour of Canada in 2010, and it was an important visit, as Canada was the country the monarch visited the most throughout her 70-year reign.

It’s estimated that she undertook 22 different royal tours of Canada, one of the member states of the Commonwealth, so it was fitting that it was one of her very final visits abroad at the age of 84. 

But despite being in her 80s, she and Philip’s trip to Canada was no less busy than usual! They visited between June and July, meaning they were there for Canada Day, a day of annual celebrations. In fact, it was the seventh time the Queen was in the country for Canada Day. In a speech on Parliament Hill that day, she highly praised the country, saying, "This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world."

Her 1986 visit to China

Queen Elizabeth II was the very first UK monarch to visit China in 1986, and it was considered to be an important visit in bolstering relations between China and the United Kingdom.

During the trip, the Queen and Prince Philip were shown numerous important sites in China, including the Great Wall, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing. She also visited the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an. This remains the only visit to China from a serving British monarch; Charles and William have both visited the country previously, but not (of course) as the UK monarch.

An important trip to Ghana

The Queen visited Ghana in November 1961, just a few short years after becoming monarch, and was greeted warmly as she attended a range of engagements there.

Her entire trip to Ghana was an important one, as it is claimed that the monarch was keen to visit to ensure that Ghana remained in the Commonwealth. The trip was even featured in the Netflix series , The Crown .

The Queen's visit also resulted in one of the best pictures of Queen Elizabeth II on a royal tour ever taken, which saw her welcomed into the Kumasi Sports Stadium during one engagement under an enormous colourful umbrella.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

What Happened to the Royal Yacht Britannia?

By Elise Taylor

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. 

By Hannah Jackson

By Ana Morales

“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.

More Great Living Stories From Vogue

The Best Places in the World for Solo Travel

Candice Bergen on What It Was Really Like to Attend Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball

The Curious Case of Kate Middleton’s “Disappearance”

Sofia Richie Grainge Is Pregnant! And It’s a….

Vogue Daily

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Architectural Digest.. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The true story of the Royal Yacht Britannia from The Crown Season 5

What really happened to the floating palace?

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Season 5 of The Crown calls the Royal Yacht Britannia the Queen’s favourite home as viewers watch the family try to save the floating palace. But what really happened to the royal yacht and what did the royal family truly think of it?

• After watching The Queen and her family fight to save their Royal Yacht, Britannia, the Crown's fifth season has viewers wondering what happened to the real Royal Yacht
• Using commentary from biographers, we break down how much of The Crown's storyline is based on fact and which parts are completely made up
• In other royal news , The Crown fans spot awkward blunder in season 5 - did you notice it?

The blurring of fact and fiction in Netflix 's The Crown has viewers once again asking if its portrayal of royal life is true to fact, slightly exaggerated or completely made up. This time the speculation surrounds the story of the royal yacht, the Britannia.

Season five uses the yacht as a heavy-handed metaphor, with questions about the costly repairs needed to keep the ageing Britannia up to par are presented alongside questions about whether the ageing queen, who is then 65-years-old, is too old for her role.

Clearly the narrative here is used to enhance the storytelling, but there is a lot of truth behind the quarrels over the royal family's beloved yacht. 

There is a real Royal Yacht Britannia, and, just like in the show, the young queen announced its name and christened it with a bottle of Empire wine. In it's 44 years of service, the Britannia was used for state visits and receptions, hosting Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as well as Boris Yeltsin and Nelson Mandela, and was also used for royal family holidays and honeymoons. 

When civil war broke out in South Yemen in 1986, the yacht was even rerouted to help evacuate civilians.

In The Crown, the yacht is presented as the queen’s favourite “home,” a fact that real-life biographers agree with. In his book Queen of Our Times, Robert Hardman explains, “There were few places where the Queen would be happier.”

GoodtoKnow Newsletter

Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.

The ship, though served by a huge crew of 220, was a haven for the royal family to relax and escape the scrutinising eye of the public. According to The Washington Post, Hugh Casson, who designed the interior, once said, “the overall idea was to give the impression of a country house at sea.”

The Crown episode centres around whether the Queen lobbied the then Prime Minister, John Major, for the government to pay for the boats extensive repairs while the country was facing a tough recession. She says in the show, “Here I am, coming to you, prime minister, on bended knee, for the sign-off, but I’m hoping that will be a formality.”

The real-life John Major called the show’s portrayal of his conversations with the Queen “a barrel-load of nonsense.” But Robert Lacey, a historical consultant on The Crown, defended the depiction. 

Speaking to The Washington Post, he argued that the subject of the yacht would have undeniably come up between the Queen and the PM, who met once a week to discuss matters of state. He said, “She certainly spoke about it to the prime minister. Obviously, the royal family would have lobbied for it. The queen did want another royal yacht.”

Robert Hardman, the royal biographer, also gave his opinion on the matter, saying that the Queen would 'no doubt' have been interested in repairs or even a replacement for the yacht, but that she would not have “leaned on her prime ministers for money.” A letter written in 1994 by the queen’s deputy private secretary that was sent to the cabinet office, and was uncovered in 2018, backs up Hardman's opinion. 

So what happened to the Britannia? John Major’s government decided against paying for the 44-year-old ship's repairs and, after a final voyage abroad to Hong Kong and a farewell tour of Britain, a decommissioning ceremony took place in Portsmouth on December the 11th, 1997. 

The ship’s clocks stopped, the Royal Marines band played and, according to Robert Lacey, “the only time the queen was seen to cry was when the royal yacht was decommissioned.”

Related articles:

• Princess Diana’s private secretary Patrick Jephson fact-checks The Crown Season 5 and shares what “was made up”
• Prince Philip tried to sue The Crown over comments blaming him for the death of his sister, royal expert reveals
• Who is Princess Diana’s friend Dr. James Colthurst and who plays him in The Crown?
• Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull: Who is the Prince’s friend, and who plays her in The Crown season 5?
• Did Charles want the Queen to abdicate? Fact vs fiction in The Crown season 5

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.

A report has suggested that playtime needs to be a priority

By Ellie Hutchings Published 19 March 24

"Never, ever schedule sex"

Useful links

• Early signs of pregnancy
• Unusual baby names
• Fantastic facts for kids
• Kids party games
• Lemon drizzle cake
• Chocolate cake
• Basic cupcake
• Low calorie meals
• Best perfumes of all time
• Why am I so tired?
• How to stop drinking alcohol
• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Cookies policy

GoodtoKnow is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

The Royal Watcher

Dinner on royal yacht britannia, 1983, embed from getty images window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'3qb6p_fst8xozdxloe3epg',sig:'ik5nlgip32sy7rppc7wr8p8fjtbluxzi-bcxn8qaino=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'52104136',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});.

The Queen (wearing the  Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara  and her  Brazilian Aquamarine Parure ) and Duke of Edinburgh host President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at Dinner on board the Royal Yacht Britannia to celebrate the Reagan’s Wedding Anniversary, during an Official Tour of America on this day in 1983.

Share this:

One thought on “ dinner on royal yacht britannia, 1983 ”.

Gosh, I miss President Reagan! I think he and Queen Elizabeth got along really well, maybe because of their shared love of horses? I really like the picture where they’re both on horseback in Windsor Park. They both look so comfortable on their steeds.:-)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from the royal watcher.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Best Dinner Restaurants in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast

Elektrostal dinner restaurants, establishment type, traveller rating, dietary restrictions, restaurant features.

• Royal Deck Tearoom
• Group Visit
• Accessibility
• Annual Pass
• Our Green Tourism
• Weekly Snaps

Things to do in Edinburgh

What's On

• Private Events
• Private Dining
• Drinks Reception
• Private Tours
• Testimonials
• Meet The Team
• Historical Timeline
• Explore Britannia
• Royal Residence
• Life Below Decks
• Bestsellers
• Gift Vouchers

The Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ

Tel: 0131 555 5566 Email us: [email protected]

Britannia will be closed 11-23 March and 25-28 June due to the redevelopment of Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre

• Search this website

Discover what is happening on board Britannia.

Easter Holidays

Explore all five decks this Easter holidays. Our free audio guide, with a children's version available, is perfect for keeping all the family entertained. Remember to spot the corgis in our Cuddly Corgi Treasure Hunt! Hop along to the Royal Deck Tearoom during your visit for a treat of cakes, scones, soups and sandwiches, all made on board.

Easter Afternoon Tea Aboard Fingal

Experience an exclusive five-course Easter Afternoon Tea aboard Britannia's sister ship, the luxury floating hotel Fingal. Indulge in glorious savoury delights as well as a beautiful Easter-themed sweet course starring chocolate nests with mango-filled eggs, Yuzu & matcha tea bunnies and strawberry & mascarpone Chantilly meringue baskets, topped off with freshly baked hot cross buns. Available 29 March to 1 April.

Afternoon Tea Aboard Fingal

Sit back and relax in the Art Deco inspired surroundings of The Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar. Enjoy a range of the finest teas accompanied by a five-course selection of perfectly formed savoury and sweet delicacies aboard our luxury floating hotel, Fingal.

Planning a visit to Edinburgh? Make the most of your visit and find out what else there is to see and do in our wonderful city!

Yotties' Week

Step aboard this Yotties’ Week, Mon 13 May - Thurs 16 May, to see the former Royal Yachtsmen don their white overalls.

Visiting Britannia

Tripadvisor’s No.1 UK Attraction 2023

Due to upcoming construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre , Britannia will be closed 11 - 23 March and 25-28 June.

Click on the Visit page  for all you need to know before you visit.

Step aboard to enjoy a great day out!

Fingal Hotel

Get away from the everyday aboard Britannia’s sister ship, Fingal.  Extend your visit with a stay in one of Fingal’s luxurious cabins, your own oasis by the sea. 

AA Hotel of the Year Scotland, AA five-star hotel and 2 AA Rosettes

Learn more: fingal.co.uk