On 23 June 1994, John Major's Government announced there would be no refit for HMY Britannia as the costs would be too great. After a long and successful career spanning 44 years and travelling over 1 million miles around the globe, it was announced that the last Royal Yacht was to be decommissioned.
Why was Royal Yacht Britannia decommissioned?
A further refit at an estimated cost of some £17 million would be necessary in 1996–97 but would only prolong her life for a further five years. In view of her age, even after the refit she would be difficult to maintain and expensive to run. It has therefore been decided to decommission "Britannia" in 1997.
Did the Royal Yacht Britannia make money?
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.
Does the royal family still have a yacht?
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 following COVID-19 closures. Now moored in Edinburgh, Scotland as a tourist attraction, the ship remains the last of 84 royal yachts, ending a tradition that first began in 1660.
When did the Royal Yacht Britannia decommissioned?
1997
Who owns Royal Yacht Britannia?
Royal Yacht Britannia Trust
How much did the Royal Yacht Britannia cost?
Various sources have quoted ballpark figures of £200 million to build the new Royal Yacht Britannia but once a working specification has been drawn up for a suitably large yacht MBY expects this to rise considerably.
Who now owns the Royal Yacht Britannia?
The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust
Is Royal Yacht Britannia worth visiting?
Britannia is an incredibly beautiful ship and is superbly preserved. The self guided tour is not rushed and gives plenty of time to explore nearly all of the ship and adsorb the history of the Royal family. You need to allow about 2 hours to do it justice.
How long does it take to tour the Royal Yacht Britannia?
2 hours
Can you go on Royal Yacht Britannia?
Tours of Britannia are self-led and available in 30 languages as well as a children's audio tour. The Britannia tour is highly accessible. The tour is available through a visually impaired audio guide, a Braille script, printed script or through British or American Sign Language tablets.