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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?

queen royal yacht britannia in usa

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.

royal yacht britannia facts staircase

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.

royal yacht britannia facts drawing room

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.

royal yacht britannia facts dining room

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.

diana and william

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.

royal yacht britannia facts sun lounge

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.

queen crying at britannia

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.

royal yacht britannia facts clock

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.

the royal yacht britannia

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.

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Royal Yacht Britannia: Everything You Need To Know To Visit This Royal Residence!

Visiting the royal yacht britannia in edinburgh.

Of all of the beautiful and historic sites I visited in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Royal Yacht Britannia was hands-down the most intriguing.  Now permanently berthed in Edinburgh, this amazing ship served as a royal residence for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the royal family for over 40 years.  Visitors get an up-close and highly personal perspective on the royals, unlike any other royal residence.  But before you head out to the ship, there are a few things you should know.

Royal Yacht Britannia:  An Unexpected Location

I visited the Royal Yacht Britannia on my very first day in the city, and as part of my solo tour of Edinburgh.  I looked at several maps and read several guide books about visiting, but there was one vital piece of information that I never came across in any of my research.  The entrance to the Royal Yacht Britannia is located inside a shopping mall.   Knowing this ahead of time would have saved me several confused minutes, walking around outside the shopping mall, feeling like an idiot.  Once I finally made my way inside the shopping center, the entrance was obvious.

Royal Yacht Britannia:  Touring and Tickets

Touring the Royal Yacht Britannia is surprisingly relaxed.  Visitors moved at their own pace, and are each given an extremely informative hand-held audio tour.   Directions through the ship are very clear, and each level is easily accessed via a tower on the dock that has both stairs and an elevator.

At the time of writing this, an individual adult t icket can be purchased for £16.50, student and senior tickets are £14.50, children’s tickets are £8.75 (age 5 to 17, under 5 are free), and a family pass (2 adults and up to 3 children) can be purchased for £46.00.

The Royal Yacht Edinburgh offers a free annual pass with your initial ticket, good for the 12 months following your first visit.  Be sure to ask about it when you purchase your ticket ( you can read more information about it here .)

Royal Yacht Britannia:  Highlights of the Tour

Queen Elizabeth's personal apartment aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Every moment aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia was like stepping back in time and getting a glimpse into what royal life is like.  The ship was commissioned in 1952 and officially launched in 1953, and the decor is still exactly as it was.  Visitors can tour all five decks of the ship, and are able to see the State Apartments, including the personal quarters of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.   The State Drawing Room and the State Dining Room were particularly fascinating.

One of the most interesting parts of this tour was all the personal family photos and other objects placed throughout the ship.  Having toured other royal residences where spaces feel extremely formal and historic, the Royal Yacht Britannia seemed much more intimate and quaint than you would expect.  For example, the Sun Lounge, said to be the Queen’s favorite space aboard the ship, was just a simple space where the family could relax and enjoy time together.  A stack of old board games is visible in a cabinet, and you can just picture the Queen and her children enjoying time together, like any other family.

In addition to all the spaces used by the Royal Family, visitors can tour the decks reserved for the crew and staff.  The spaces are small, but well appointed, and visitors get a real feel for how people aboard the ship lived their daily lives.  It quickly becomes obvious why this particular royal residence is said to have been Queen Elizabeth’s favorites.

Royal Yacht Britannia:  The Royal Deck Tea Room

Tea in the Royal Deck Tea Room aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, Scotland.

A visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia is not complete without stopping for meal or a relaxing cup of tea in the Royal Deck Tea Room.   I stopped by mid-afternoon after finishing my tour for a scone and a cup of tea, and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the harbor.  The service was excellent and my scone was delicious.

Access to the Royal Deck Tea Room is only available if you have purchased a ticket to tour the Royal Yacht Britannia, and they are unable to accommodate reservations.

The Royal Yacht Britannia:  A Fantastic Gift Shop

After finishing your tour of the ship and having a bite in the tea room, do not miss the gift shop at the end of the tour.   Since I visited the Royal Yacht Britannia on the very first day of my trip, I didn’t take full advantage of this fantastic location.  Not only does it feature a wide array of items themed around the ship, but it also has many other wonderful items from all over Scotland.  Had I known how boring and similar all the items I would find on the Royal Mile would be, I would have spent more of my souvenir money here!  It’s definitely worth taking the time to look around and find something you’ll love.  (I spent quite a long time trying to find great, unique souvenirs along the Royal Mile, so to save yourself some time,  be sure to check out my post on Where to Buy The Best Souvenirs in Edinburgh by clicking here !)

The Royal Yacht Britannia is not to be missed by any visitor to Edinburgh!  I highly recommend taking advantage of as much time as you can spare aboard the ship.  I will definitely be bringing my family with my next time I visit Scotland to tour this amazing yacht.

Looking for other things to do while you visit Edinburgh?  Check out my guide to the perfect day in Edinburgh, Scotland !

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By Kingfisher Visitor Guides

The floating palace now berthed just north of Edinburgh was once the majestic symbol of the Royal Family and the greatness of Britain.

A Royal experience

The Royal Yacht Britannia was launched in 1953. During her 44 years in service, she hosted four royal honeymoons, sailed over one million nautical miles, and welcomed luminaries including Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and many presidents of the United States.

Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith, Edinburgh

Follow in the footsteps of royalty as you step aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia

The history, opulence, symbolism and majesty of HMY Britannia may hark to a bygone era, but today the Royal Yacht sits proudly berthed in Ocean Terminal, Leith as a beacon of hope for the peoples of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and beyond.

Tender loving care

The first sea-going royal yacht in a line of 83 such vessels (stretching back to 1660), HMY Britannia was commissioned just two days before the death of King George IV.

His majesty was already in failing health and it was hoped that Britannia would help the king with his symptoms. The last in the line of royal yachts was launched just two months before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The first sea-going royal yacht in a line of 83 such vessels (stretching back to 1660), HMY Britannia was commissioned just two days before the death of King George IV

Honeymoon suite

Britannia’s honeymoon suite (the only room on board with a double bed) hosted the post-nuptial vacations of Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones (1960), Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (1973), Prince Charles and Princess Diana (1981) and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (1986).

The Royal Deck Tea Room on the Royal Yacht Britannia

HMY Britannia made 696 foreign visits, introducing the British royal family to many nations who had never seen them before. She also undertook 272 trips in British waters, often the summer holidays of royalty. The royal yacht was intended as the safe haven for the Queen and Prince Philip in the event of a nuclear war.

You should allow two to three hours for your visit to HMY Britannia. There are five decks to explore along with the Royal Apartments (including the Queen’s bedroom and sun lounge) along with the lavish State Dining Room.

You can also visit the bridge and the staff quarters. Britannia was the last British naval ship to utilise hammocks for the crew to sleep in. Relive life on a true floating royal residence complete with laundry and sickbay.

Bell on Royal Yacht Britannia

Take a selfie next to the iconic Royal Yacht Britannia bell

Make time to visit Britannia’s garage where you will see the vintage Rolls Royce in which the royal family continued their journeys onwards by land. Included in the admission price is a free audio handset tour, available in 30 different languages.

Where can I find the Royal Yacht Britannia?

Britannia is berthed at Edinburgh’s Leith Harbour. The historic docks have been modernised into a tourist destination.

Entrance to the yacht is through the Ocean Terminal, a shopping centre with restaurants and bars. There is a visitor centre exhibiting artefacts and an interactive history of Britannia before you board.

Visit the Royal Yacht Britannia for a great day out

Location: Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ Opening hours: July-August 9.30am-4pm, September-December 10am-3.30pm Cost: Adult £17, concession £15, child 5-17 £8.75, child under 5 free, family £47 Visit website

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Image credits: ©Helen Pugh/Marc Millar/Tony Marsh Photography/The Royal Yacht Britannia; Video: Royal Yacht Britannia/YouTube

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A Visitors Guide to The Royal Yacht Britannia

Launched in 1953, The Royal Yacht Britannia served the Royal Family for nearly 50 years, until it’s decommissioning in 1997. Aside from the Royal Family, the yacht also welcomed a number of high profile politicians and celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Liz Taylor, Nelson Mandela and Sir Winston Churchill.

Being based near Edinburgh, I was amazed when I discovered that Damon had never visited. I hadn’t been in nearly 10 years so one rainy weekend we decided to take the full tour and enjoy the tea room.

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia

  • Location and Getting There

Opening Times

Ticket types and prices, royal deck tea room, location and getting there.

The Britannia is permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal, Leith just north of Edinburgh city centre.

Parking At Royal Yacht Britannia

Parking is free at Ocean Terminal if you’re taking a car. The blue car park, level E, is closest to the Visitor Centre.

You can find the Visitor Centre on the 2nd floor of the shopping centre, towards the Debenhams end.

The easiest way of getting there is by using Google Maps . Alternatively, use the postcode EH6 6JJ or follow signs for Leith, then the brown Royal Yacht Britannia signs.

The 11, 22 or 35 Lothian Bus services will take you to the Britannia from the city centre of Edinburgh. Tickets can be purchased with correct change on the bus (no contactless payment option), online , from the Lothian Buses m-tickets app or from a preloaded citysmart card.

UberX, UberXL and Exec are available in and around Edinburgh. Prices vary but use our Uber code: andrewy2730ue or sign up here to get a free ride.

The Britannia

The Britannia is open all year round, with the exception of the 25th of December and the 1st of January.

Admission Times are also dependent on the season:

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia Opening Times

*Last admission is 2:30pm on December 24th and 3pm on December 31st.

For updated opening times, check out this page on the official website.

The Royal Deck Tea Room

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia - Royal Deck Tea Room Opening Times

**The Royal Yacht Britannia is closed on December 25th and January 1st. Last admission to the Royal Deck Tea Room is 2:45pm on December 24th and 3pm on December 31st.

Ticket prices remain the same all year round. We’d recommend booking through Viator .

There are a range of ticket types available, including discounts for senior citizens (60+), children (5-17), students and members of the armed forces (with identification).

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia Admission Prices

Your ticket will grant you access to the visitor centre, the yacht itself (self guided tour with included audio guide) and the Royal Deck Tea Room.

Groups of 15 or more get access to special rates which you can find more information about here .

Once you’ve purchased your ticket, you can apply for a free annual pass (just ask at the till), allowing you to visit during the following 12 months. The Annual Pass will also entitle you to a 15% discount at the tea room and the gift shop.

The Annual Pass is a great idea, especially if you’re considering a return visit to the tea room. We’ll talk in more detail about the Tea Room later on but for now I’ll just say a return visit might be likely.

Audio Guide

After purchasing your ticket at the till, you’ll first take a walk through the Britannia Visitor centre where a short exhibition will tell you about the history of the ship.

After that, you’ll get given your audio guide , which is available in 30 languages:

English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Russian, Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Korean, Japanese, Urdu, Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic, Thai, Turkish, Cantonese, Punjabi, Portuguese-Brazilian, Welsh, Romanian and Gaelic.

There are also English audio guides available for children, visually impaired visitors and for those with learning disabilities. For those with hearing difficulties, a British Sign Language tablet or printed script can be provided.

The tour of the ship itself lasts approximately one hour.

You will get to see the full five decks of the ship.

Near the top of the ship, towards the stern you can find the teak-lined sun lounge. This was a private family room where The Queen would enjoy afternoon tea.

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia - Sun Room

The state dining room, the largest room on board, hosted royalty, prime ministers and presidents. Sir Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were all entertained in this venue.

The room is still actively used as an events space and can accommodate up to 196 dinner guests.

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia - State Dining Room

One of the surprises on the tour was the freshly made fudge, which you could sample for free on one of the lower decks.

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia - Fudge

When Damon and I thought about going to tour the Britannia, we read that there was a tea room on board. We didn’t, in all honesty, expect much, based on our experience with most museum cafés. But this completely surprised us.

The Royal Deck Team Room sits in a beautiful glass box on Britannia’s top deck, with stunning views over the Forth and the bridges in the distance.

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia - Royal Deck Tea Room External Glass Box

The menu offers a range of soups, sandwiches and cakes. You can also choose from a selection of teas, coffees, alcoholic (wine, champagne, whisky, cocktails etc.) and non-alcoholic soft drinks.

Damon and I both opted for the Britannia Special (a soup and sandwich platter). Everything on the plate was delicious, from the Cullen Skink soup to the chicken sandwich and the smoked paprika potato wedges.

Our Departure Board - Royal Yacht Britannia - Royal Deck Tea Room Soup and Sandwich

The whole experience, from the view to the food and the silverware really surpassed our expectations.

Is Afternoon Tea Served On The Royal Yacht Britannia?

No traditional afternoon tea is served in the Royal Deck Tea Room aboard the Britannia. Instead, it is served aboard the Fingal (see below). There are instead 3 specials options in the tea room:

Moët Cream Tea Special For Two: Bottle of Moët Imperial NV plus a sandwich (from their list) and a scone or slice of cake. Loose-leaf tea or coffee is included - £57.50

Cream Tea Special For One: Pot of loose-leaf tea or coffee, plus a sandwich (from their list), a scone or slice of cake and a glass of sparkling Rosé - £26 (£28 for Moët Imperial NV option)

Britannia Special: Soup and a sandwich. Served with paprika potato wedges and garlic mayonnaise - £15.95

Cost Of Afternoon Tea On The Fingal

Afternoon tea is served on board the Fingal (Britannia’s sister ship also docked in Port Leith - 10 mins walk from the Britannia).

The afternoon tea costs £40 per head and includes a selection of sweet and savoury delicacies.

accessibility

A central lift makes the Britannia accessible on all levels and accommodates wheelchair users or those with specific access needs.

Ocean Terminal, where you gain entry to the Britannia, has disabled Parking on every level and lifts connect each floor.

Recognised assistance dogs are welcome on board.

For further information, check out this page on the official Royal Yacht Britannia website.

Take The Tour In The Morning

A morning tour will likely be quieter than an afternoon tour. Naturally, the ship has some close quarters so the less people the better.

Buy Tickets online To Skip The Queue

If you purchase your ticket online, you won’t have to wait at the till. On peak days, especially during summer, this can save you a lot of time. Tickets are priced exactly the same.

Don’t Miss It If your Cruise is Berthed Nearby

Cruise ships regularly dock in Leith. The Britannia Visitor Centre is likely only a 5 minutes walk from your cruise ship.

Take Advantage Of Free Parking At Ocean Terminal

You wouldn’t normally see ‘Edinburgh’ and ‘Free Parking’ in the same sentence so take full advantage if it’s the easiest way to get there for you. Ocean Terminal, Blue Car Park, Level E.

Take Advantage of The Free Annual Pass

We only discovered this was an option after our visit. When we ate in the tea room, we thought we’d like to go back but we didn’t want to have to pay full admission again for the privilege. This, for 12 months at least, solves that problem.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is consistently rated one of the top tourist attractions in Scotland and, after my return visit and Damon’s 1st visit, we could see why. Have you visited the Royal Yacht Britannia? Or do you have any questions before your trip? Let us know in the comments down below.

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FAQs / Help

Please book a timed ticket online to guarantee admission. 

Our tickets are sold by arrival times and once you are on board you can stay as long as you wish within our opening hours.

Refunds are available up to 48 hours before your visit. Bookings can be moved free of charge. To request a refund please e-mail [email protected] with your order reference.

Yes, please call 0131 555 5566 or email  [email protected] . Please note that calls are answered, and e-mails monitored Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

Tours are self-guided and include an audio tour available on your mobile or an audio handset which is included in the price of admission. 

Yes, we can store luggage while you enjoy your tour of Britannia.

Our Tea Room, Gift Shop and NAAFI will be open.

Britannia is highly accessible via a central lift. For further information please see our  accessibility page  where you can find our access statement.

We offer a discounted rate for armed forces. This is available from our ticket desk in Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. 

Visitors to Britannia should use the Ocean Terminal Car Park. Parking is free and level E of the Car Park will bring you out on the same level as the Britannia Visitor Centre. There are accessible spaces and dedicated parent and child parking bays available on this level. 

There is no allocated motorhome parking, car parking is free and there is a multi-story car park. There are however, frequent bus and tram services to Ocean Terminal. 

We close 2 hours after the last admission. 

Due to the  upcoming construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre , Britannia will be closed 11 - 23 March and 25 - 28 June. Ocean Terminal is currently undergoing redevelopment, adding new leisure and retail businesses, as well as residential spaces. As part of this redevelopment, Britannia will also be gaining a new Visitor Centre and Gift Shop which will involve us operating out of temporary accommodation whilst these new facilities are being created.

Last admission on 24 December is 2:30pm and 31 December is 3:00pm. The Royal Yacht Britannia is closed on 25 December and 1 January. 

We recommend you allow 2 hours for your visit. Please allow longer if you wish to visit our stunning  Royal Deck Tea Room . 

We welcome guide dogs, hearing dogs and other recognised assistance dogs. It is not possible to bring other dogs into Ocean Terminal or on board Britannia. 

You are welcome to take photographs on board. There are some great photo opportunities on the outer decks. 

There is no hotel accommodation on The Royal Yacht Britannia. Our sister ship,  Fingal , offers 22 luxurious cabins, inspired by Fingal’s rich maritime heritage and named after Stevenson Lighthouses. Fingal Hotel is now permanently berthed just moments away from Britannia in the historic Port of Leith. Stay aboard and treat yourself to an unforgettable experience in  The Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar , serving  Afternoon Tea , dinner and spectacular  cocktails , open to overnight guests and non-residents. 

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  • Registered Company Name : Royal Yacht Britannia
  • Branch Address : Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ
  • Registered Company Address : C/O Turcan Connell Princes Exchange, 1 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, EH3 9EE
  • Registered Company Number : SC18547

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How much time should you allow for visit? - would...

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Royal Yacht Britannia Questions & Answers

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

How much time should you allow for visit? - would 2 hours be enough?

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Hello and thank you for your question.

Usually we recommend about an hour and a half to do the tour and a little more time if you wish to visit our Royal Deck Tea Room. So, two hours should be more than enough to allow you to see everything on the tour.

Please note that the tour is completely self-led with our complimentary audio guide, so you can take as much or a little time as you would like to explore the five decks.

I hope that this answers your question but please do give us a call if you need any more information. We hope that we will welcome you on board Britannia in the near future.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

The audio-guided tour lasts for 1 hour. Two-hour will be more than sufficient to finish the tour. If you plan to enjoy some tea on board, it will take some extra time though.

And, the bus to the Britannia from the city center takes about 30 minutes in non-peak hours, if my memory serves. The traffic could be congested around 4~5 pm.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Should have said in my earlier reply that the 2 hours is purely for the visit and does not include "downtime" for the tea room.

2 hours is plenty - provided you've no mobility issues. There's a fair bit of walking and stair climbing involved but it's not excessive.

I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and, despite some comments from others, I think it is reasonably priced and good value.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

We took about 3.5 hours but would have taken longer if we had kids and done a proper lunch

Hi we were there about 3 hours there is so much to see and there is no rush by the staff. Enjoy

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Hello, our total visit was just over two hours. This included the full

audio tour and a stop for tea. Travel time from central Edinburgh is about 15-20 mins each way on top of this.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Yes you can do it in two hours but go as soon as it opens

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Yes - 1.5 hours is the norm

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

I was here a couple of months ago, spent 2 hours there, and had to leave to meet up with someone, I felt that I had to rush through, it all depends on what sort of person you are, if you are one of those that likes to have a good look, are into royal things or ships, or like to read all the plaques on the wall. Or would you be the type, who just goes, walks around, oo's and arr's, takes it in, but wants to keep moving. If you are the latter, then two hours is well enough time for you, if you are like me, and like to get the most, and really take it all in, you're going to need four hours, there is a restaurant on it too, I missed out on this, and also had to rush a bit toward the end of the tour. So it all boils down to yourself.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Yes that would be plenty

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

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Secrets of the Royal Yacht Britannia

Town & Country took a tour of the famous vessel which served the royal family for more than 40 years and has reopened as a tourist attraction.

the royal yacht britannia

Wondering about the royal family's yacht as you watch this season of The Crown ? In light of its appearance on the Netflix series, we're resurfacing this story from 2021 :

While plans to build a successor to boost Britain’s trade continue to attract criticism, Britannia is once again attracting hordes of visitors after being forced to close because of COVID-19. And it’s no surprise, because from being able to look right into the Queen’s bedroom to learning about what life was like for the up to 220 yachtsmen on board, this is a boat with some fascinating stories to tell.

Town & Country went aboard to learn the secrets of this much-loved vessel. Here’s our pick of the best royal tales.

the royal yacht britannia is now open to visitors again following covid19 closures

The ship was altered with royal skirts in mind.

Many photographs of the Royal Yacht Britannia show the family waving from the Royal Bridge as the vessel departed from or arrived at its destination. And the bow of the ship was specially adapted to make sure these public moments did not reveal more than was intended. “The curved teak windbreak was a later feature, added for modesty’s sake, to prevent sea breezes from lifting royal skirts,” visitors to Britannia are told.

britannia exterior

It was a struggle to get the royal car on board.

When the 412-ft yacht was built in 1953, it was considered important that it had a garage to house the Queen’s Rolls Royce. However, getting the car on board was no easy feat. “First, the car, in its transporter, had to be hoisted onto the special track that is fitted into the deck. Even then, it could only be squeezed into the Garage by removing its bumpers,” Britannia’s guide notes. Thankfully, in later years the Queen usually traveled in a car from the country she was visiting which meant that the garage was eventually used as a beer store.

crown binnacle

Britannia was designed to avoid any peeking into the royal bedrooms.

Now, visitors to Britannia get a full view of the Queen and Prince Philip’s (separate) bedrooms, albeit through glass. However, when the ship was in use it was important that no-one could peek into these rooms. Pointing out that the windows looking into these areas are “higher than anywhere else on the Yacht,” Britannia’s guide explains: “By placing them at this height above the deck, any accidental glimpses into the royal bedrooms could be prevented.”

staff cubbies

There were lots of people on board—but not everyone traveled in style.

One of the most fascinating things about touring the yacht is looking into the living quarters—from the relatively luxurious rooms of the Queen and Prince Philip and the ship’s Admiral, to the officers’ comfortable sitting room and dining room, to the approximately 220 yachtsmen who lived, slept, and worked, as the guide describes “in fairly cramped conditions.” Tourists are told: “Britannia was a ship in which hierarchy was strongly defined.” And there were plenty of people to accommodate. Some 45 working members of the royal household accompanied the Queen on her overseas visits.

stairway

The Queen favored neutrals while Philip liked darker colors.

As the yacht was build with their use in mind, the Queen and Prince Philip both had a say in the ship’s design and as such, it gives a some insight into their taste. The Queen’s (single) bed has a specially-commissioned embroidered silk panel above it, and her room is decorated in pale and neutral colors. By contrast, Philip’s room features vibrant maroon linen and curtains and, at his request, his pillows, unlike the Queen’s “do not have lace on the borders.”

sundeck room

There is only one double bed.

The honeymoon suite on the yacht is opposite the Queen and Philip’s bedrooms. “This is the only room on Britannia with a double bed which was brought on board by Prince Charles when he honeymooned on the Yacht with Princess Diana,” tourists are told. “When the Royal Children were small, this bedrooms and the adjoining room were used as nursery suites.”

dining table

The royal children liked to eat jelly on board.

Food on board Britannia was prepared in three galleys—one for the yachtsmen, one for the officers and one for the royal household. Buckingham Palace chefs were flown out to prepare royal food and there was a room that, according to Britannia’s guide, was known as the Jelly Room “for it was in here that the royal children’s jellies were stored.”

dining room

There is a dance floor that hasn’t been used for 50 years.

The largest room on Britannia is the State Dining Room where lavish banquets were held. It could also be used as a cinema room. “The silver-grey carpet could also be rolled up to expose a wooden dance floor beneath, although the last time this was used was for Princess Anne’s 21st birthday celebrations,” the guide notes.

naval flags

Prince Philip kept a reminder of his naval career in his office.

Just like their separate bedrooms, the Queen and Philip had separate offices on board Britannia. Philip’s had a “specially designed display case,” the ship’s guide notes, in which he kept “a model of HMS Magpie, His Royal Highness’s first naval command.” The Duke of Edinburgh famously gave up his active naval career in 1951 to support his wife in her duties when King George VI’s health was ailing.

drawing room

The ship was ready for stormy seas.

The royal family and their guests relaxed in the drawing room, which featured a grand piano. The instrument was played by members of the family and even some of their famous guests, including composer Noel Coward. “The Welmar baby grand piano cost £350 when it was supplied in 1952, and is firmly bolted to the deck to stop it taking off in choppy seas,” tourists are told.

queen in turkey

Once the royal laundry turned blue.

Walking through the laundry at the end of the tour provides an insight into what was once a “hot and noisy environment.” Some 600 shirts could pass through the laundry in one day, with the royal family’s washing done on separate days to that of the crew. Britannia’s audio guide recounts “one occasion when the royal washing turned a delicate shade of blue, and Her Majesty’s Dresser was less than amused. The cause, it turned out, was a chemical reaction in the copper pipes, which was quickly remedied by adjusting the pH value of the water.”

laundry room

For more information and to book tickets visit royalyachtbrittania.co.uk

preview for The Life of Queen Elizabeth II

Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures , released in 2021. 

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A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

TripBlog

First Royal Yacht Designed for Ocean Travel

Commissioned just two days before the death of king george vi, created to double as a hospital, home to a lot of history, redesigned to be less opulent, has homely touches by royal standards, a royal honeymoon essential, a family vacation spot, the decommissioning in 1997, features of this ship, the queen’s favorite room, royal apartments and bedrooms, naafi sweet shop, royal deck tea room, the entrance, car parking, opening time.

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The Royal Yacht Britannia is Leith's most popular attraction. Great Britain has had a very strong connection with the seas and oceans for centuries. Plan your trip for a tour of the iconic royal yacht Britannia in the beautiful city of Edinburgh in Scotland. Rated as one of the top 5 tourist attractions in the UK, this is truly a must-visit place. Here is a brief information about the story of this royal vessel, activities and things to do, along with all the facilities it has to offer.

Story of Royal Yacht Britannia

The British royal family too has the same long history of seafaring. HMY Mary (HMY standing for His or Her Majesty’s Yacht) was the first official royal yacht. It was gifted by the Dutch to Charles II in 1660. Over the centuries, the British monarchy has used 83 royal yachts including the current one, the HMY Britannia, also known as The Royal Yacht Britannia. Though the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned from royal service in 1997 and despite some efforts to get a new one, there has been no replacement for it so far. With its seafaring days long over, The Royal Yacht Britannia remains an important piece of history. It gives a sneak preview of the royal life with interesting stories behind it.

Royal Yacht Britannia was the first royal vessel that was designed for travel across oceans. John Brown & company built it in a Clydebank shipyard. It is also regarded for building famous liners Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. With 12,000 horsepower to propel it in the oceans, the ship could sail at the max — speed of 22.5 knots which was quite reasonable. Before its commissioning, the royal family used the British Naval ships or even passenger liners for their sea travel during royal tours across the commonwealth. The Royal Yacht Britannia was in royal service for 44 years and traveled 1.1 million miles throughout its life span in royal service.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

The idea of having an ocean capable royal vessel was conceived. So that the royals could comfortably tour their far-flung commonwealth and with the belief that travelling may improve the failing health of the reigning King. Just two days after the order was placed to the shipbuilders, John Brown Shipyard in Scotland, the King died on 6 th Feb. 1952. The ship was built in little over a year and was officially named only during its launch in April 1953. It was just two months before the new monarch, and Queen Elizabeth was coronated. The ship was named Royal Yacht Britannia by the Queen who toasted it by opening a bottle of wine as Champagne was considered very extravagant for celebrating the launch ceremony of a ship at that time.

Envisioned to be built less than a decade post-WWII, the ship designers planned to build the ship as functional as possible so that it could be transformed from a royal ocean liner to a seafaring floating hospital during wartime. As a result, the main veranda was spaced wider and re-enforced to support helicopter landing. The laundry area was made much larger than naval vessels to accommodate wounded soldiers in the event of a war. The ship was never actually used for that purpose though. However, Royal Yacht Britannia was put to service for a mission to rescue European nationals from Yamen in 1986.

The Royal Yacht Britannia had many pieces of history on it. The white and gold binnacle in the ship’s verandah was picked up from HMY Royal George, which served Queen Victoria. Some of the Queen’s bedroom linens were originally made for her bed aboard older royal yacht.Royal Yacht Britannia had its steering wheel lifted from its namesake racing yacht HMY Britannia that was built in 1893 for King Edward VII.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

Despite the sense of opulent luxury that a royal yacht exuberates, the Queen and Prince Philip, the interior plans by the ship’s original interior designers found it too lavish for a country. Still recovering from war, it got redesigned by Sir Huge Casson. The ship in her 44 years of service has received minimal updates throughout.

The low-key royal living is a fairly high class by any standards on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The floating royal home has a 56-seat state dining room which has hosted the likes of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, many US Presidents and has a formal staircase where the Queen would greet her guests. It has separate bedrooms and sitting rooms for both the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh and a telephone system with similar configurations as Buckingham palace systems. During her earlier years, The Royal Yacht Britannia used to carry the Queen’s car, a Rolls Royce Phantom V, in a special garage compartment. The space being slightly small, the car’s bumpers used to be dismantled for storage to avoid damage and refitted at the port of call. As the Queen started using the car provided for her at the port, this space was converted to a storage space for beer.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

Four royal couples, starting from Princess Margaret & Anthony Armstrong Jones in 1960, have celebrated their honeymoons in the honeymoon suite of Royal Yacht Britannia. This is the only room aboard which has a double bed. Since then, Princess Anne and Capt. Mark Phillips, in 1973, Prince Charles & Princess Diana in 1981, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have famously traveled on The Royal Yacht Britannia for their respective honeymoons. Stories of these tours abound with one who got the ship its nickname “the ghost ship” owing to the crew that ducked the press so effectively during the Mediterranean honeymoon cruise of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

In addition to her diplomatic duties on frequent royal tours and as a honeymoon retreat, The Royal Yacht Britannia was also used as a vessel for family vacations. During summers, it catered to the royal family’s western Isles tour cruising around Scotland with a stopover to play games and barbeques on the islands. The tour would also have a stop off at Castle of Mey to visit the Queen Mother and a port of call at Aberdeen for the Queen to visit her favorite summer home, The Balmoral Castle . Though no longer used as a private yacht for tours, it still has connections with the royal family. The oldest granddaughter of the Queen, Zara Phillips, hosted a reception a night before her wedding in 2011 on the ship. The guests included all her royal cousins though the Queen was not in attendance.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

Having clocked 1.1 million miles on the seas, Royal Yacht Britannia was finally decommissioned on 11 th December 1997. The Queen was seen shedding a tear at the ceremony as so many memories were attached to it. Since the Queen officially took leave of it, the ship is docked in the port of Leith in Scotland. It now serves as a floating museum and venue for events for those who can afford it. All the clocks aboard the ship remain stopped at 3.01 hours which is the exact time the Queen disembarked the vessel for the last time. The Queen has never visited the yacht ever again till date.

Initially, there were plans to get a replacement yacht, but the government eventually declined to fund it, and thus it remains an unfulfilled plan.

The ship was designed with three masts – a 41 m foremast, a 42 m mainmast, and a 36 m mizzenmast. A portion of the top of the foremast and mainmast were hinged to be removed to allow safe passage under bridges. A floating palace, Royal Yacht Britannia was built to double up as a hospital in the event of a war and was a functional royal residence.

It had a capacity of 250 guests and carried one platoon of Royal Marines and 21 officers with 250 Royal yachtsmen while carrying the Queen or the royal guests. Five of the decks open for public viewing include the Queen’s sleeping chambers, the state drawing, and dining rooms and a honeymoon suite with a double bed. It also had a garage to carry the Queens Rolls Royce Phantom V during the royal journeys. The Royal Deck Tea Room was added in 2009.

Royal Yacht Britannia had a steering crew who could not see where they were going as unlike on most ships, where the steering wheel sits on the bridge on the topmost floor. The Britannia’s wheel room is one floor below blinding the crew. To navigate, the crew used voice pipes to convey navigational orders to circumvent this problem. Amazing but true.

To maintain silence and calm during the Royal presence onboard, the crew would use hand signals instead of shouting orders. It was also the last Naval ship where the crew slept in hammocks, a practice that was discontinued in1973.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

What Can You Do on Board?

The five decks of The Royal Yacht Britannia are open for public viewing as the ship was converted to a museum. The following are the few attractions on the yacht.

The sun lounge was the Queen’s favorite room where she liked to have her tea at 8.30 AM whenever sailing on onboard. She would view the shipping chart at 11 AM here reviewing the sailing progress it made during the night as she got back here for coffee. She liked having her afternoon tea here at 5 PM. The wooden-floored and paneled Sunroom remained the Queen’s favorite room for relaxing and informal time spending.

The yacht was a functional royal residence for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburg. It was fully equipped with all conveniences to host world leaders who have stayed in the royal apartments in the royal vessel. You can see the grand staircase where the Queen would greet her guests, a state drawing-room along with a state dining room for 56-guests. The Queen would sit on the port side of the dining table and used a small bell to clear off a food course. You can also see the Queen’s bedroom and sitting room which is covered with a glass screen for protection.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

As in all Royal navy ships, Britannia has a NAAFI (Navy, Army & Air Force Institute) shop where the crew could buy sweets, papers, magazines and special Britannia souvenirs along with daily need items like razors and toothpaste. You could visit it too on your own to Royal Yacht Britannia.

The Royal Deck Team Room was added in 2009 in The Royal Yacht Britannia where you can enjoy freshly made food with stunning views and are warmly welcomed here. Treat yourself with tea and onboard baked snacks on the very same spot where the royals would have played games and entertain during their royal tours.

A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

The onboard award-winning gift shop is a good place to buy exclusive gifts for your loved ones. Buy beautiful Britannia souvenirs to immortalize your tour to a royal icon.

Information about Royal Yacht Britannia

After being at service of her Majesty, The Queen and the Royal Family for more than 40 years and sailing over 1.1 million miles, the majestic Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed in Leith in Scotland. The place is just 2 miles from the city center of Edinburgh. You can follow the lives of the royalty on this tour with this most special royal residence. You can be part of the historic icon which hosted the Kings & Queens of the world along with important world leaders who have been a guest here. This famous ship is one of the top 5 landmark attractions in the UK. You can visit The Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland - EH6 6JJ.

As you reach the Ocean Terminal, which is the entrance of the Royal Yacht Britannia museum, you will get a truly warm welcome. The terminal is the gateway and boarding point for the ship. It has a replica Lego model of Britannia. You can view the historical royal photographs in the gallery before you get on board the ship. You can get a complimentary audio headset which gives you an audio tour of the 5 main decks in 30 languages.

Same-day tickets for the tour can be bought onsite at the Ocean Terminal visitor center before 8 am. You can also pre-book your ticket online for added convenience. Look out for discounts or special offers that may be applicable from time to time. The ticket free costs £16.50 for adults, £14.50 for senior citizens (60 years), £14.50 for students with valid ID, £8.75 for children (5-17 years), free - children under 5 years. There is also a family package of £46 (2 adults and up to 3 children).

There is ample free car parking available at the Ocean Terminal for Britannia visitors. The level E of the blue car park will get you to the same level as the Britannia’s visitor center. There are reserved car parking slots for disabled and dedicated bays for parent and child parking on this level.

The museum opens for admission at 10 am and allows admission till 3.30 pm, 7 days a week from Jan- March, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm from April- Oct. and 10 am to 3.30 pm in Nov- Dec. It closes 2 hours post the last admission.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is closed for visits on 25 th Dec. and 1 st Jan. due to holidays.

How to Get There

Royal Yacht Britannia can be reached in just 15 minutes by car from the Edinburgh city center. The visitor center is located on the 2 nd floor in the Ocean Terminal. For satnav guided driving, punch the codes EH66JJ or use google maps to reach here. Follow road signs for Edinburgh and Leith/ North Edinburgh. You will see brown Britannia signs for the final approach.

There are local bus services from Edinburgh city center. Lookout for Lothian Bus services with bus number 11, 22 or 35 which have service to the Ocean center. The ticket can be purchased in the bus carrying exact change. You can also buy bus tickets online at form-tickets. Optionally you can consider Majestic Tour buses which depart from Waverley Bridge at Edinburgh city center. You will get a 10% discount showing your Majestic bus ticket on your Britannia admission ticket.

Royal Yacht Britannia is approx. A 45-minute drive from Edinburgh airport. The new Lothian Skylink 200 service directly connects the airport to the Ocean Terminal.

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Royal Yacht Britannia – tickets, prices, discounts, afternoon tea, what to see

Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh

Royal Yacht Britannia used to be Queen Elizabeth’s Palace on Water and is now Scotland’s most popular tourist attraction. 

Known by many names such as Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth’s Yacht ,  HMY Britannia, etc., this Yacht was in the Queen’s service for 44 years and sailed more than a million miles worldwide. 

It is a perfect opportunity to see how the British Queen lived when traveling with other Kings and Queens, World leaders, and celebrities. 

This article shares everything you must know before booking your tickets for the Royal Yacht Britannia tour.

Top Royal Yacht Britannia Tickets

# Royal Yacht Britannia tickets # Royal Edinburgh ticket

Table of contents

What to expect at yacht britannia, royal yacht britannia prices, royal edinburgh ticket, where is the royal yacht britannia, royal yacht britannia entrance, royal yacht britannia opening times, are the britannia tours timed, are the royal britannia tours guided, how long does a tour of britannia yacht take, royal britannia discounts, royal yacht britannia audio guide, royal deck tea room timings, 1. the state drawing room, 2. the verandah deck, 3. the sun lounge, 4. the state dining room, the engine room, the laundry, admiral’s cabin.

Here is a quick video on what visitors can expect inside Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia.

Your Royal Britannia tour starts from the Visitor Centre, on the second floor of Ocean Terminal, where you get the historical background about the Royal Family and Yachtsmen.

You then pick up the audio guide, which is part of the entry ticket, and board Queen Elizabeth’s Yacht and explore five fascinating decks.

Highlights on the Yacht’s Royal side are the Sun Lounge, the State Dining Room, and The Queen’s Bedroom.

On the ship’s operational side, you get to see the Crew’s Quarters, the Engine Room, the laundry, etc.

More than 95% of the exhibits you will see during your tour are original and are taken on loan from The Royal Collection.

If you prefer, you can also visit the Royal Deck Tea Room.

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Royal Yacht Britannia tickets

This entry ticket gets you complete access to the Royal ship that’s now berthed in Edinburgh’s historic Port of Leith.

Visitors can explore all five decks at a leisurely pace even as they take in the public and private lives of the British Royal Family.

This ticket also includes the complimentary audio guide. 

Adult ticket (18+ years): 18.50 pounds Child ticket (5 to 17 years): 9.25 Pounds  Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children): 50 Pounds Infant ticket (under 5 years): Free entry

This combo is known as the 48-hour Royal Edinburgh Ticket and is a real money saver. 

If you are visiting Edinburgh for the first time, we highly recommend this Royal attractions combo. 

This ticket gets you to access three of the best attractions in the city:

  • Royal Yacht Britannia
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Palace of Holyroodhouse

And to top it all, you also get unlimited travel for 48 hours on three of Edinburgh’s hop-on-hop-off bus tours. 

Royal Yacht Britannia location map

Address:  Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ, United Kingdom. Get Directions

The Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed in Leith, Edinburgh, just 2 miles from the City Centre.

Britannia’s Visitor Centre is on the second floor of Ocean Terminal, just 15 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh City Centre.

Ocean Terminal is soon going to be  re-branded  as Porta. 

There are many ways to get to the Royal Yacht. 

If you are coming by train, you must get down at  Edinburgh Waverley .

From outside the station, you can take a taxi to cover the 3.7 kms (2.3 miles) to Ocean Terminal. 

From the Waverly station, you can also take bus No. 22 and 34.

You must board the buses at  Princess Street (Stop PN) , and after 24 minutes and 27 stops, get down at  Ocean Terminal (Stop OF) .

There is a bus from the Station, every 15 minutes.

Lothian Bus services  run three buses – Bus No. 11, 22, and 35 – from Edinburgh City Centre to Ocean Terminal. 

You can purchase tickets on the bus by presenting the correct change or from the  Lothian Buses app .

A single journey on a Lothian Bus costs 1.70 Pounds. 

If you use Satnav, use the postcode EH6 6JJ. 

Else, open Google Maps to get  directions to Ocean Terminal .

If you prefer a taxi, we recommend  Uber ,  Central Taxis , or  City Cabs .

Car Parking

Royal Yacht Britannia offers free parking at Ocean Terminal.

Blue Car Park on Level E is closest to the tourist attraction’s Visitor Centre. 

This part of the Park also has spaces for Blue Badge holders. 

If you reach by foot, taxi, or bus, access to Royal Britannia is from the Ocean Terminal Shopping Center’s main entrance on the ground floor. 

You must take a lift to the 2nd floor of Ocean Terminal and walk towards the building’s East end.

Royal Yacht Britannia Visitor Center Entrance

You will first spot Debenhams and then HMY Britannia’s Visitor Center entrance.  Even though you can book tickets at the venue (the ticket desk is to the left of the visitor center entrance), it is better to  buy them online , much in advance, to avoid last-minute disappointment. 

During the peak months of April to October, Royal Yacht Britannia opens at 9.30 am, and the last entry is at 4.30 pm. 

The rest of the year, the Royal Yacht opens at 10 am, and the last entry is allowed till 3.30 pm. 

The last admission on 24 December is at 2.30 pm, and on 31 December it is at 3 pm. 

Royal Yacht Britannia is closed on 25 December and 1 January.

Royal Yacht Britannia tour

The Royal Yacht Britannia   tours are a perfect way to feel like a celebrity for a few hours. 

In this section, we share a few things you must know before you book your tour of the Royal ship. 

No, tours of HMY Britannia don’t start at a stipulated time. 

When you book your tickets, you only select the ‘date.’ 

On the day of your visit, reach the Royal ship between their opening hours to start exploring.

Her Majesty’s Yacht doesn’t offer guided tours. 

However, every ticket comes with an audio guide to walk around and tour the ship yourself.

Kids get their own version of the audio guide. 

You need at least two hours to explore Royal Yacht Britannia to satisfaction. 

However, if you plan to visit the Royal Deck Tea Room, you must factor in another 30 to 60 minutes. 

Visits during July and August tend to take longer because of the crowd. 

Kids up to four years get the maximum discounts at Britannia, Edinburgh – they get in for free. 

On the adult ticket price of 17 Pounds, children aged 5 to 17 years get almost 50% discount and pay only 8.75 Pounds.

Seniors who are 60+ and students with valid educational ID cards get a 2 Pound reduction on the full ticket.

People in the Armed Forces (with valid ID) can also claim the reduced price of 8.75 Pounds. 

However, this Armed Forces discount is available only at the Britannia ticket office.

Every Britannia Yacht entry ticket comes with a complimentary audio guide.

While receiving the audio guides at the Handset Desk, you can ask for straps to wear the audio guides around the neck. Headphones are also available.

Kids can opt for the children’s version of the audio guide.

The audio tour is available in 30 languages; English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Russian, Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Korean, Japanese, Urdu, Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic, Thai, Turkish, Cantonese, Punjabi, Portuguese-Brazilian, Welsh, Romanian and Gaelic. 

Besides the audio guide, visitor guides are also available through the tour route to help if you have questions.

Royal Yacht Britannia afternoon tea

The Royal Deck Tea Room is on board Britannia and tables are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

It is a perfect restaurant to enjoy freshly prepared food and stunning views of the harbor. 

The menu includes specialty coffees, cocktails, tasty soups, sandwiches, cakes, scones, etc.  Download Menu

The Royal Deck Tea Room has 35 tables and can seat 133 people.

During the peak months of April to October, the Royal Deck Team Room opens at 11 am, and the last admission is at 3.30 pm. 

January to March: Opens at 11 am, last admission at 3.30 pm

November to December: Opens at 10.30 pm, last admission at 3.45 pm

Royal Yacht Britannia interiors

Many tourists wonder what’s inside the Royal Yacht before they book their tickets. 

Some out of curiosity and some to know if a visit to Royal Yacht Britannia is worth it. 

We list below some of the highlights of this Palace on water. 

State Apartments

The State Apartments are the collection of rooms where the Royals lived or entertained their guests. 

The Royal family relaxed in the State Drawing Room whenever they traveled together. 

It also acted as a reception room for up to 250 guests. 

The Verandah Deck was a private space for the Royals, where they could sunbathe or enjoy quoits or deck hockey. 

This area of the ship also had a collapsible swimming pool for the Royal Family to splash around if they wanted.

Sun Lounge at Royal Yacht Britannia

The Sun Lounge was one of the Queen’s favorite rooms onboard HMY Brittania. 

The beautiful teak-lined room was a designated family room and offered a lot of privacy from the rest of the ship.

This massive dining room onboard Britannia has played host to the world’s most influential people, such as Nelson Mandela, Sir Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, etc. 

With its white paneled walls adorned with gifts received during State visits, this room represents ultimate luxury. 

Engine Room at Royal Yacht Britannia

The Engine Room is a testament to British marine engineering skills because, until the ship got decommissioned in 1997, everything was working fine. 

This room is full of gleaming brass, chrome, and white enamel with the ‘heavy stuff’ under the hood pumping 12,000 horsepower, which would help Britannia and her four-bladed propellers to a maximum of 22.5 knots.  

Eight men operated the Engine Room, Boiler Room, and associated machinery rooms.

The 240 Officers and Yachtsmen on board Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia sometimes had to change their uniforms up to six times a day. 

This is why it was the only ship in the Royal Navy to have a laundry service permanently on board. 

The laundry machines, dryers, and steam presses on the ship worked non-stop, and sometimes the temperature even went up to 48 degrees Celcius (118 degrees Fahrenheit)

Admiral’s Cabin at Royal Yacht Britannia

The Admiral was responsible for Royal Yacht Britannia’s safe functioning and commanded the 19 officers and 220 Yachtsmen who operated the ship.

He worked, entertained, and often ate (he couldn’t join the other officers in their mess unless invited) in the Admiral’s Cabin. Image: Royalyachtbritannia.co.uk  

Royal Yacht Britannia's Bridge

The Bridge was HMY Britannia’s center of command and control on all her journeys. 

From here, the officers reporting into the Admiral navigated, passed orders, recorded the logbooks, etc.

Back then, all Royal Navy ships had a Navy, Army, and Air Force Institute shop, known as the NAAFI. 

The crew members and the officers would shop for their daily needs, such as toothpaste, shaving creams, magazines, etc. in this shop. 

Sources # Royalyachtbritannia.co.uk # Architecturaldigest.com # Wikipedia.org # Tripadvisor.com The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy .

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Royal Yacht Britannia & Leith

The royal yacht located in the port of leith (edinburgh).

Royal Yacht Britannia Edinburgh

In the harbor district of Edinburgh, Leith, lies the Royal Yacht Britannia. Read all the information about how you can visit this impressive royal yacht with a guided tour.

Visit the royal yacht in Leith

For forty years, the Royal Yacht Britannia was the official means of sea transportation for the British Royal Family. Today you can visit the royal yacht in the harbor town of Edinburgh , Leith . Visit the royal family's five-deck yacht with an audio guide and learn about the state apartments and crew cabins.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

For more than 44 years, the Britannia sailed the British monarchs around the world. The Britannia was the last yacht of a total of 83 royal yachts. In total, the Britannia has sailed more than one million nautical miles on her way to approximately 968 state visits around the world. It is not surprising that the ship has played several key roles in major historical events. Britannia was also known for the large state banquets that were organized on deck. The Royal Apartments have hosted many well-known world leaders.

What to see on the Royal Yacht?

According to many, the highlight of a visit to the Royal Yacht is the viewing of the Queen's Bedroom. Other areas you will see include the States Apartments, the State Diner Room, and the Engine Room. Also visit the famous Sun Lounge, where the Queen loved to have breakfast or drink tea. Or take a look at the Admiral Quarters, where the admiral worked and often ate during his visit to the Royal Yacht . Where the British monarchs used to enjoy games and entertainment, nowadays you can have a bite to eat and enjoy the view over the sea.

Royal Yacht Britannia

The still bustling Leith

Leith is a pleasant harbor district in the north of Edinburgh. Since the bustling harbor was here in the eighteenth century, Leith was Scotland 's main port for products such as wool, wine, spices and raw materials. In 1920, Leith officially became part of Edinburgh . The yacht of the British monarchs docked at Leiths Ocean Terminal after her last voyage and is still here. Although Leith therefore became known among tourists, this district also has its own charm.

Innovative restaurants

In terms of restaurants, you won't have to starve in Leith. You will find unique, innovative restaurants everywhere and there are even two Michelin restaurants in the district: The Kitchin and Restaurant Martin Wishart . Food in a cozy atmosphere can be found in Borough's. Or visit one of the many seafood restaurants, such as Ship on the Shore. If you prefer Italian or Asian cuisine, visit East Pizzas and Lucky Yu respectively. You don't have to look far for lunch either. Leith offers you the largest sandwiches in Alby's. The port town's first wine café is Toast and for coffee lovers you have Williams and Johnson.

Where is the Royal Yacht Brittania in Edinburgh?

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The Royal Yacht Britannia: Worth a Visit?

The Royal Yacht Britannia: Worth a Visit?

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Is the Royal Yacht Britannia worth a visit? Step aboard! The Late Queen’s former floating palace and experience this iconic 5 star attraction for yourself. Rated Scotland’s Best Attraction for 12 years running and in TripAdvisor’s UK Top 10 for the last 5 years, Britannia is one of the most famous ships in the world. Sailing a million miles on a thousand official visits, during 40 years in service, the Royal Yacht played host to glittering state banquets and official receptions, but was also home to the Royal Family and crew of 220 Royal Yachtsmen. 

But is she worth a visit? 

History buffs will be interested to know that Britannia was built in 1953, just in time for The Queen’s coronation. She cost £6.2 million to build (the equivalent of £120 million today) and was decommissioned in 1997 after 44 years of active service. 

During her time as a royal vessel, she played host to numerous dignitaries including Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe and The Beatles. 

The Queen and Prince Philip spent every Christmas on board Britannia along with their children and grandchildren – often sailing to warmer climes such as Gibraltar for the Christmas period. 

In 1982, The Prince & Princess of Wales brought their newborn baby Prince William home from hospital to meet his grandparents on board Britannia. 

Nowadays, she operates as a five-star visitor attraction and restaurant docked permanently in Edinburgh ‘s historic Leith harbour. 

 Visitors can explore all five decks as well as enjoy afternoon tea or lunch served in one of Britannia’s former State rooms whilst enjoying magnificent views across Edinburgh’s skyline and Firth of Forth.   

So is Britannia worth a visit? 

We think so! She may not be sailing the seas anymore but she still has plenty of stories to tell – not to mention the best views in Edinburgh !

What Is Edinburgh Known For?

Ready to start planning that trip to Scotland? Start here!

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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

Royal Yacht Britannia

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Britannia was the first Royal Yacht to be built with complete ocean-going capacity and designed as a Royal residence to entertain guests around the world. When she was decommissioned in 1997, it marked the end of a long tradition of British Royal Yachts, dating back to 1660 and the reign of Charles II.

There is additional information about Britannia's specifications and construction contained in the technical paper .

VICTORIA & ALBERT III

Britannia's predecessor was the Victoria & Albert III - the first Royal Yacht not to be powered by sail. It was built for Queen Victoria, but she never stepped on board, concerned about the yacht's stability. King Edward VII did sail on the Victoria & Albert, mainly in local waters and the Mediterranean. Having served four sovereigns over 38 years and not left Northern Europe since 1911, the Victoria & Albert was decommissioned in 1939. She was eventually broken up for scrap at Faslane in 1954

Royal Yacht Britannia Black and White

THE LAST ROYAL YACHT

It was decided that a new Royal Yacht should be commissioned that could travel the globe and double as a hospital ship in time of war. It was also hoped a convalescence cruise would help the King's ailing health. The John Brown & Co shipyard in Clydebank received the order from the Admiralty for a new ship on 4 February, 1952. Sadly King George VI passed away two days later. Not only did Queen Elizabeth II now have to prepare for her new role, but she also had responsibility for the commissioning of the new Royal Yacht.

Royal Yacht Britannia Video

BUILT IN SCOTLAND

John Brown & Co was one of the most famous shipyards in the world, having built the famous liners Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. The keel of the new, as yet unnamed, Royal Yacht was laid down in June 1952. One of the last fully-riveted ships to be built with a remarkably smooth painted hull, she was finally ready to be launched on 16 April, 1953. The ship's name was a closely guarded secret, only being revealed when Queen Elizabeth II smashed a bottle of Empire wine (Champagne was considered too extravagant in post-war Britain) and announced to the expectant crowds "I name this ship Britannia… I wish success to her and all who sail in her". You can read more about getting Britannia ready for Royal service by downloading Letters from a Fish to his Admiral (below), a series of notes and letters written by Acting Captain J S Dalglish, the Officer in charge of commissioning Britannia. John Brown continued as a shipyard until they sadly closed in 2001.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

BRITANNIA COMMISSIONED

After the launch, Britannia's building work continued as her funnel and masts were installed, before beginning sea trials on 3 November 1953 off the West Coast of Scotland. On successful completion, she was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 11 January 1954. On 22 April, Britannia sailed into her first overseas port as she entered Grand Harbour, Malta. During 44 years in Royal service Britannia sailed the equivalent of once round the world for each year, calling at over 600 ports in 135 countries, including the United States of America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Building of Yacht - Royal Yacht Britannia 9

ROYAL HONEYMOONS

Britannia was an ideal Royal honeymoon venue. The Royal Yacht was very private and could sail to secluded locations. Four Royal honeymoons were enjoyed on board, Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones being the first in 1960.

Princess Margaret returns from her honeymoon

THE FIRST DAY AT SEA

As well as hosting state functions, Britannia was an ambassador for British business, promoting trade and industry around the globe. These British overseas trade missions were known as ‘Sea Days’ and an invitation to come aboard proved irresistible to the world’s leading business and political figures. The Overseas Trade Board estimated that £3 billion was made for the Exchequer as a result of commercial days on Britannia between 1991 and 1995 alone.

Commonwealth Heads Of Government taken on Britannia's Verandah Deck

EVACUATION OF ADEN, SOUTH YEMEN

At 20:00 on 17 January 1986, the Yacht dropped anchor at Khormaksar Beach. Civil war had broken out in South Yemen and ships were urgently required to evacuate British nationals and others trapped by fighting. As a non-combatant Royal Navy ship, Britannia would be able to enter territorial waters without further inflaming the conflict.

Royal Yacht Britannia Black and White

DECOMMISSION

"Looking back over forty-four 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. View the entire Paying-Off Ceremony letter below.

Royal Family RYB

OPENED AS A VISITOR ATTRACTION

After arriving in Leith, Edinburgh on 5 May 1998, The Royal Yacht Britannia opened as a visitor attraction on the 19 October 1998.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

BRITANNIA WELCOMED 5 MILLION VISITORS

The Royal Yacht Britannia, now a five-star visitor attraction and exclusive evening events venue, celebrated welcoming 5 million visitors since opening in 1998.

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

OUR LUXURY FLOATING HOTEL, FINGAL, OPENED

In January 2019, our luxury floating hotel Fingal opened to the public. Fingal, a former Northern Lighthouse Board tender, had undergone a £5 million development to become a 22 cabin five-star floating hotel, berthed moments away from Britannia. In September 2023, Fingal was awarded AA Hotel of the Year Scotland.

Fingal Edinburgh - Exteriors 2

TRIPADVISOR'S NO.1 UK ATTRACTION 2023

The Royal Yacht Britannia was voted Tripadvisor's No.1 UK Attraction 2023. What a wonderful accolade for our team who passionately provide a five-star customer experience to ensure each and every visitor has a memorable time on board. Britannia had previously been awarded this prestigious accolade in 2014.

Royal Yacht Britannia Bell

CELEBRATING BRITANNIA'S 25 YEARS

19 October 2023 marks 25 wonderful years since Britannia opened to the public as a visitor attraction. During this time we have welcomed over 7 million visitors, a brilliant milestone to mark the occasion. We thank each and every visitor who has stepped aboard and look forward to welcoming many more to share our history.

Royal Yacht Britannia - Exteriors 8

Visiting Britannia

Tripadvisor’s No.1 UK Attraction 2023

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

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

royal yacht britannia how long to visit

Learn more: fingal.co.uk

IMAGES

  1. Sneak Peek Inside The Royal Yacht Britannia Edinburgh & Tour Review

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  2. The Royal Yacht Britannia Official Website

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  3. Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh

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  4. Where is Royal Yacht Britannia now?

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  5. Inside the historic Royal Yacht Britannia

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  6. The story behind the Royal Yacht Britannia

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COMMENTS

  1. Royal Yacht Britannia

    A visit to The Royal Yacht Britannia is a great day out for families. It is fantastic to read that you enjoyed learning about the Yacht's 44 years of Royal history. ... The queue shortly after that was quite long, I imagine in summer there would be quite a wait for a table so it could be wise to plan for before or after that peak lunch period ...

  2. The Royal Yacht Britannia Official Website

    Step aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia. Britannia will be closed 11 - 23 March and 25 - 28 June due to the redevelopment of Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. Explore each of the five decks of The Royal Yacht Britannia, Best UK Attraction (Tripadvisor) and discover what life was like during Royal service on board Queen Elizabeth II's former ...

  3. Royal Yacht Britannia Facts Everyone Should Know—and How to Visit

    The Britannia's Drawing Room. 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 ...

  4. FAQ's

    As part of this redevelopment, Britannia will also be gaining a new Visitor Centre and Gift Shop which will involve us operating out of temporary accommodation whilst these new facilities are being created. The Royal Yacht Britannia is closed on 1 January and 25 December. Last admission on 24 December is 2:30pm.

  5. How much time should you allow for visit?

    11 answers. Attraction representative. Robert G. Edinburgh, United Kingdom. 5. Votes. Hello and thank you for your question. Usually we recommend about an hour and a half to do the tour and a little more time if you wish to visit our Royal Deck Tea Room. So, two hours should be more than enough to allow you to see everything on the tour.

  6. Royal Yacht Britannia: Everything You Need To Know To Visit This Royal

    The Royal Yacht Britannia: Don't miss this extraordinary royal residence in Edinburgh, Scotland, and get a glimpse into the Royal Family! ... A visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia is not complete without stopping for meal or a relaxing cup of tea in the Royal Deck Tea Room. ... (I spent quite a long time trying to find great, unique souvenirs ...

  7. Royal Yacht Britannia

    A visit to The Royal Yacht Britannia is a great day out for families. It is fantastic to read that you enjoyed learning about the Yacht's 44 years of Royal history. For the information of others, we have a child friendly version of our free audio guide so that visitors of all ages can enjoy learning and engaging with the interesting history ...

  8. Know before you go

    The first sea-going royal yacht in a line of 83 such vessels (stretching back to 1660), HMY Britannia was commissioned just two days before the death of King George IV. His majesty was already in failing health and it was hoped that Britannia would help the king with his symptoms. The last in the line of royal yachts was launched just two ...

  9. Royal Yacht Britannia

    A complimentary audio handset guide is included with an admission ticket and this brings some of the many fascinating stories of Britannia to life. The Royal Yacht Britannia is a short distance from Edinburgh City Centre and can be reached by local bus with numbers, 22 and 35 travelling from the centre of the city for £1.80 each way (correct ...

  10. A Visitors Guide to The Royal Yacht Britannia

    A Visitors Guide to The Royal Yacht Britannia. June 28, 2019 Andrew Young. Launched in 1953, The Royal Yacht Britannia served the Royal Family for nearly 50 years, until it's decommissioning in 1997. Aside from the Royal Family, the yacht also welcomed a number of high profile politicians and celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Liz Taylor ...

  11. FAQs / Help

    As part of this redevelopment, Britannia will also be gaining a new Visitor Centre and Gift Shop which will involve us operating out of temporary accommodation whilst these new facilities are being created. Last admission on 24 December is 2:30pm and 31 December is 3:00pm. The Royal Yacht Britannia is closed on 25 December and 1 January.

  12. Best UK Attraction

    A Royal residence for over 40 years, The Royal Yacht Britannia sailed over 1,000,000 nautical miles on 968 state visits with the Royal Family where they entertained prime ministers and presidents. Now Tripadvisor's No.1 UK Attraction 2023, you can discover across five decks stories of life at sea for both the Royal Family and the 220 Royal ...

  13. How much time should you allow for visit?

    Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh: "How much time should you allow for visit? - would..." | Check out 11 answers, plus see 23,387 reviews, articles, and 11,348 photos of Royal Yacht Britannia, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 2,035 attractions in Edinburgh.

  14. Visit Scotland's Best Visitor Attraction

    Britannia is open 9.30am - 4.30pm (April - October) and 10am - 3.30pm (November - March). The Royal Yacht is closed on 1 January and 25 December. At last admission (3.30pm/4.30pm respectively) you still have 2 hours to complete the tour with an average audio guided tour lasting 1.5 hours. If you wish to visit the Royal Deck Tea Room, we ...

  15. Secrets of the Royal Yacht Britannia

    When the 412-ft yacht was built in 1953, it was considered important that it had a garage to house the Queen's Rolls Royce. However, getting the car on board was no easy feat. "First, the car ...

  16. A Tour Guide to Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh Scotland

    The Royal Yacht Britannia is Leith's most popular attraction. Great Britain has had a very strong connection with the seas and oceans for centuries. Plan your trip for a tour of the iconic royal yacht Britannia in the beautiful city of Edinburgh in Scotland. Rated as one of the top 5 tourist attractions in the UK, this is truly a must-visit place. Here is a brief information about the story of ...

  17. Royal Yacht Britannia

    Royal Yacht Britannia used to be Queen Elizabeth's Palace on Water and is now Scotland's most popular tourist attraction. Known by many names such as Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth's Yacht, HMY Britannia, etc., this Yacht was in the Queen's service for 44 years and sailed more than a million miles worldwide.. It is a perfect opportunity to see how the British Queen ...

  18. Royal Yacht Britannia & Leith (Edinburgh)

    Today you can visit the royal yacht in the harbor town of Edinburgh, Leith. Visit the royal family's five-deck yacht with an audio guide and learn about the state apartments and crew cabins. The Royal Yacht Britannia. For more than 44 years, the Britannia sailed the British monarchs around the world. The Britannia was the last yacht of a total ...

  19. The Royal Yacht Britannia: Worth a Visit?

    Rated Scotland's Best Attraction for 12 years running and in TripAdvisor's UK Top 10 for the last 5 years, Britannia is one of the most famous ships in the world. Sailing a million miles on a thousand official visits, during 40 years in service, the Royal Yacht played host to glittering state banquets and official receptions, but was also ...

  20. Royal Yacht Britannia (HMY Britannia)

    The last in a long line of more than 80 royal yachts, Royal Yacht Britannia has welcomed many esteemed guests on board, including Sir Winston Churchill, Boris Yeltsin, and Nelson Mandela. During its 44-year tenure, the yacht covered more than 1 million miles, carrying the late queen and other dignitaries to destinations in Britain and beyond.

  21. What To See At The Royal Yacht Britannia

    What to see at The Royal Yacht Britannia. There are five decks to explore on board the Clydebank-built former Royal Yacht of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A floating palace, holiday home and ambassador for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, ... a two-metre long whalebone, which Prince Philip found on Deception Island and a wooden ...

  22. HMY Britannia

    Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia is the former royal yacht of the British monarchy.She was in their service from 1954 until 1997. She was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660, and is the second royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the racing cutter built for the Prince of Wales in 1893. During her 43-year career, the yacht travelled more than a million ...

  23. The History of The Royal Yacht Britannia

    Historical Timeline. Britannia was the first Royal Yacht to be built with complete ocean-going capacity and designed as a Royal residence to entertain guests around the world. When she was decommissioned in 1997, it marked the end of a long tradition of British Royal Yachts, dating back to 1660 and the reign of Charles II.