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Ex-Royal Yacht Britannia
Quick facts...
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| Owners: |
Royal Yacht Britannia Charitable Trust -
now preserved as a museum |
| Builders: |
John Brown & Co Ltd.
Clydebank |
| Launched: |
16 April 1953 |
| Tonnage: |
5,769 tons gross |
| Dimensions: |
412 x 55 feet
(126.7 x 16.9 metres) |
| Machinery: |
Steam turbines,
geared, twin screw,
21 knots |
| Complement: |
240 Crew |
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The order to build a Royal Yacht as replacement for the obsolete Victoria
and Albert, was placed in February 1952 with John Brown & Co Ltd. The
Clydebank yard won this contract largely because of its experience in
building the prestigious Cunard Queens and Caronia. Launched in April 1953
by Her Majesty the Queen, Britannia was the most modern in a long line of
Royal Yachts dating back to King Charles II's Mary, in 1660.
Britannia was designed as a dual function vessel
- Royal Yacht in
peacetime and hospital ship in times of hostility. Although built under post
war austerity conditions, she provided a classical, well-balanced profile,
with meticulous attention paid to detail. Features included an innovative
funnel design, bulbous bow, stabilisers, superstructure tested in a wind
tunnel, and the steel hull riveted then machined flush above the waterline
to give an immaculately smooth finish. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh took
personal interest in the interior design, choosing for the Royal apartments
relatively simple decor incorporating white painted walls, mahogany and
brass. Exquisite furnishings and objets d'art provided appropriate
embellishment, with many items retained from previous Royal vessels.
Throughout Britannia's 43-year active life, her appearance remained
flawless, inside and out, despite having steamed well over a million miles.
In service Britannia became a fitting symbol of Britain's proud maritime
heritage, and in retirement, continues as a showcase for British
shipbuilding at its best. In his painting, Gordon Bauwens portrays the
elegance of the Royal Yacht as framed by the graceful arches of the Forth
Bridge, itself an enduring monument to a previous century's engineering
skills. This apt location is just a short distance from where Britannia is
now open to visitors at Leith, Edinburgh's seaport.
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