My family emigrated to Australia when I was 2. I remember Mum taking us into Brisbane to see the Queen. My father, being an Irish Republican stayed at home. I did not know why until I was older. It was a different world back then. I met Q a few times when I worked at Fenwichs in Bond Street, and she loved my banter about the the first time I saw her. She even remembered my name.
A well done docu. As a young lad, I saw The Britannia as she toured the Great Lakes. My parents, pre-war British immigrants, made sure we saw the Royals at every chance. It seemed as if even our family vacations were planned around their tours, just to get a glimpse of them. The ship was magnificent plying the Welland Canal. I had an "up close" look, being merely feet away. I was moved by this docu, however, I had hoped for some more technical features but there are other docus. Cheers and Thanks.
The white/silver, sequined dress that the late Queen Elizabeth wore at the reception on the Royal Yacht during her SilverJubilee was absolutely stunning and gorgeous !
Such a glorious yacht; we visited it and had dinner on the sister vessel Fingal 2 years ago and loved it so much we rented a cottage at Balmoral the next Summer ❤
I'm no Royalist, but Tony Blair should've let the old lady keep her boat. It was the only place she ever had any true privacy. Just look at her face during the decommission ceremony....utter grief.
@@509cougs As stated, I am not a Royalist, and she WAS, indeed, an Old Lady. Highly doubtful those words would 'shake her in her grave' given the legendary backbone she had. If anything, she would snicker and agree. LOL But my words obviously offended YOU, and for this I am sorry.
We in South Africa were overjoyed to see Her Late Majesty and Prince Philip arrive onboard Britannia in 1995. May they both rest in piece and our fond memories of them endure forever. It should never be underestimated what prestige and economic benefit Britannia brought to the UK. I think Blair was shortsighted
@@Celisar1 the effect is just not the same though. Those visits were unique and brought Great Britain massive goodwill and trade. But yes, it's over, sadly...
I was lucky enough to sail on the Royal Yacht as a Marine Engineer (MEM) 1976 - 1977 25th Silver Jubilee to Australia and New Zealand, hard work but it is wonderfully memory I will take to my grave, Tony Blair didn’t really make the decision to scrap it, it suffered continuous mechanical problems, the cost of maintenance was astronomical, worth taking a look at her if you ever visit Leith in Scotland 👍👍
I saw the Royal Yacht on two very special occasions - First in St. John's, Newfoundland while visiting my grandmother's family. My paternal grandmother Diana was born there during the British occupation. Princess Diana was so lovely in her pink outfit as she walked down the stairs of the Yacht. I was invited to the Royal Garden Party by Lady Barlow who was a close friend of my family. P. Diana was very nice, friendly and outgoing. However, P. Charles refused to shake my hand and it hasn't been forgotten. Second, I got to see the Royal Yacht in Baltimore, Maryland while she was on tour. I was very saddened and disappointed when I heard that she was decommissioned. It should have never happened! It was more about politics than the cost of upkeep. The Yacht actually helped bring more money into Britain via trade, tourism, etc.
How very nice to have been a part of that history. Meeting Princess Diana must have been a privilege not many get. And to attend the Garden Party was lovely in itself. I wouldn’t forget Charles smug act of not shaking hands. Shame. But you were Very lucky to be part of all that not only once but twice. Good for you.🤩
What an amazing historical view of the Queen's reign - the change in the world in her time as Queen was unbelievable. The pain on both her and Prince Philips face as she was decommissioned showed just how much the yacht meant to them. They led gilded lives. I've been on the yacht at Leith - it's old fashioned now but what a wonderful way to travel the world!
The Goverment decided to remove the upkeep of the Royal Yacht. Was used for official tours. HM enjoyed and had fond memories of private time along the coast to Scotland. Train journey instead. Was a mean spirited decision in my opinion to take it. Millions been spent on HS2 rail project. Not to mention the loss suffered by people when their land/property came under compulsory purchase.
It wasn't just used by the Royal Family. It was used to promote British trade and thanks to the prestige of Britannia won billions of pounds worth of overseas business. That alone paid for its running costs many times over. It was suggested that Blair scrapped it because he had never been on board.
HS2 has cost something like £80B. The Crown Estate ostensibly is owned by the Monarchy but all the profits go to H.M. Treasury and Audit Department. About half is given to the Royal Family in what is now called the Sovreign Grant. Literally , the Monarchy is cheap at half the price.
@alanbeattie1470 Great comment. It's good to see someone knows what they are talking about. It's not half though. It was originally 15% but it's increased to 25% for about 10 years, to cover the cost of the Buckingham Palace renovation, so that no costs fall on the taxpayers. The King has said that he wants it back to 15% as soon as possible. He has also directed that the one billion pounds profit from wind farms on the Crown Estate should go to the Treasury.
A disgraceful decision to decommission the royal yacht thank you John Major. They said they couldn’t afford a new one. Today the money wasted on corruption is unbelievable.
What a beautiful ship and wonderful travels and diplomacy it provided. It was such a touching moment in the end to see Queen Elizabeth visably shaken with grief at the end of Britannia's service.
Yes the interiors are definitely understated, just like the saloons on the Royal train. They are quite refreshingly spars, chintzy and cozy at the same. I think some are under the misapprehension that because you live surrounded by gilded splendour, you are in approval of it..... it wasn't the case for her late Majesty. I just watched a splendid Channel 5 documentary hosted by Rob Bell about the Britannia. It highlights Queen Elizabeth's personal influence in the choice of fabrics and furnishings for the yacht's interiors. Apparently this style remained throughout it's service.
We're lucky to get a guided tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia when it was docked at the Port of Manila, Philippines 🇵🇭 for refueling and resupply as it was en route to Hong Kong in 1997 for the handover ceremony.
at 1:02 there we can catch a rare glimpse of Elizabeth, unmasked and unguarded, at ease and enjoying herself - Our dancing Queen - maybe my favorite of all images of her. rest in peace ma'am.
The fact that Britain, an island nation, does not have a royal yacht is really silly. And claiming that Britannia was too old is rubbish, the Danish royal yacht Dannebrog was launched in 1932 and is still going strong, and will probably celebrate 100 years in service in 8 years.
We saw this ship when we were in the Bahamas one time. I thought it was such a good idea cuz they could take their children with him and not risk an airplane ride. It was also great when It was able to evacuate people and showed good compassion from Great Britain to the world
Perhaps the Royal Family could have a new Royal Yahct, the good ship Lollipop.I still think that Victoria and Albert missed an oppertunity, to call their dynasty Balmoral. Lovely Scottish name.
The Britannia had the advantage of being a place that was not bugged, and which could not be taken by local militants if there were unrest. It had value to the Commonwealth.
During the last day of the decom- missioning, I thought I saw Camilla walk out the door on deck dressed in a brown outfit accompanied by an unknown man. Then, I quickly saw the late Queen go past the pole dressed in red. Where did Camilla go? Take a good look towards the end of the video.
The income and especially the image made from the yacht on big trips outweighed the cost of its upkeep. The government was wrong in not replacing it. Flying the flag abroad was important in conveying the message that Britannias historic rule of the waves was encapsulated in HMY Britannia. People from all over the world came onboard to visit wherever we were in the world and there was a sense of pride in our country, that seems so long gone now. Nevertheless it was a happy memory to have served in the Royal Yacht.
Prince Philip sailed Britannia to Nassau, where we lived, in 1959. Elizabeth was not on this tour. The island spent months preparing and went crazy when it sailed into the harbor.
It meant 'freedom' to her. One of the only places (if not the only place) where she could have complete privacy away from the press and the public. I think it's the only time I ever saw the Queen cry.
Blair did some hateful things in his time as P.M. but that (decommissioning the Royal yacht which meant such a lot to our Queen and all the Royal family) was surely one of the most unforgivable.
@@MyBizOnluthat argument doesn't hold water when Tony Blair spent far more money than that on the Millennium Dome, a single-use vanity project, that has struggled to find a purpose ever since the Millennium celebrations ended.
😢. After watching the documentary involving staff, it became apparent that the yacht meant as much to those who worked on it,as much as the Queen. It cost too much to maintain..perhaps something could have been cut elsewhere to save it,like one of the palaces..it's sad because Britannia gave the Queen a place to relax with no press. Not many jobs would come with the pride the old staff expressed 😢. Like the Royal train, a part of history we will never experience again.
I saw them on tour in Newfoundland, Canada. Princess Diana wore a beautiful 2-piece pink outfit and was very friendly. However, Prince Charles refused to shake my hand, and I will never forget it! Newfoundland was the birthplace of my paternal grandmother Diana when it was under British occupation.
To be quite frank, at 4:40, we can add that the King's extensive cigarette smoking habit was another significant contributing factor to his untimely death. After all, managing a war does not necessarily result in the removal of a cancerous lung just months prior to death. This post is in no way meant to be disrespectful to the memory of His late Majesty King George VI, but his lifelong smoking habit had a greater negative impact on his health than the stresses associated with kingship.
7:50 I've Been To The Royal Yacht Britannia Boat Museum In Edinburgh In Scotland In The United Kingdom 5 Years Ago Back In June 2019 And It Was Super Awesome. Thanks Mate. PS This Famous Boat The Royal Yacht Britannia Is Named After The British Railways Standard Britannia Pacific Express Steam Locomotive Britannia Built In 1951 And It Was Now Preserved At The National Railway Museum In York In Yorkshire. X
William, Duke of Normandy, missed a trick; he could have set-up the Empire of Albion, an old Celtic name for this island that the Romans called Britannia. England, Wales and Ireland could have retained functional Royal Dynasties of their own...
Blair was a txxt. Britannia was a symbol of British Heritage, a floating palace that brought millions of pound in revenue from trade with other countries. She wasn’t just a luxury. I say bring back another Britannia to represent Britain on the world oceans
It took Diana a few days after her marriage to realize Charles was a huge disappointment and was never going to meet her needs. How terrifying for a 20 year old.
I’m American so I don’t have an iron in this fire, but from what I’ve heard and read, it sounds like the royal yacht’s maintenance and upkeep expenses had surpassed any benefit of keeping her in service.
The narrator makes reference to Clydeside and Glasgow and Buckingham Palace. Sadly no mention at all of Malta, in spite of rare and historic footage being shown.
The royal family had a funny way of waving expressing like there was a problem with the way regular people do maybe it was fear or not or too much practice or watching others before them greetings from Canada
I am meloncoly about this ship as an American. I just don’t see why it had to be resigned while the queen reigned. Couldn’t the family have personally purchased this ship for thier own? Or did it belong to Britain? Surely the royal family had enough money to purchase and kept her. I guess all things come to an end. This one was a sad end.
Something we should never have lost but now we are no,o gear in the EU we should have another more modest version. It wasn’t just for holidays it was used for trade, going to other nations to forge partnerships… it was a working palace and part of the State..
Britannia cost the taxpayer, £10 million a year, so I’m not sure if it was really feasible for the British taxpayer to pay for this yacht. However, her Majesty could’ve paid for it out of her own funds. If she really felt that struck me about it I’m sure she’s got the ability to do that given her profound wealth..
Williams 😅😅c'est une crise climatique 😁😅😅kat Catherine 🇱🇷medliton 👸😘je t'adore🇲🇦tu cache pas votre amour ☝️🛸et tu as le droit de aimer💯🥀🃏🎱🛸🕰🕯🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🙋♂️☝️
A replacement should be put on a Naval Architects drawing board, computer these days, the cost is irrelevant compared to the safety and privacy a Yacht offers. Not just to the Royal Family but to Trade and Diplomatic missions, the world is becoming ever more unstable and dangerous.
When you look at the size of the vessel and that huge crew the expense must have been horrendous. Decommissioning it was wise and inevitable. Britannia no longer rules the waves or the world economy sadly.
Very very sad to lose such a piece of iconic British heritage! This was Tony and Cherie Blair’s “finest moment” in their quest to try to please the anarchist’s and what they perceived as a vote gathering from the working classes.. But like all ‘Emperors’ the Blair’s only made the divide greater in this country, and whilst playing the role of ‘working class hero’s’ they were secretly in the background building a £bn empire for themselves, ending up richer than the Royal Family! A typical move by the Labour government!
He wasn’t a fan. He was all in for the decommission. He thought the best idea was for a private company to lease them a boat with the company logos plastered all over it.
Thanksgiving for royal Britannia the one who got on the right all the way around the country the Duke and Duchess Queen Queen Alexander Windsor Alice the brilliant Thanksgiving for the Britannic the Britannic Britannia royal Yacht Britannia present when soldiers and The Kooks were entertaining the list of the clown in service of the crown the royal Britannia presents to the service of the acknowledge service to the crown lovely the royal Britannia is a beautiful ship is a beautiful sailing ship the royal Yacht Britannia another show naughty and devotion to the Royal family naughty and devotion to the Royal family the royal Yacht Britannia he cooked magnificent lunches family
