royal yacht shop

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

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

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 !

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Please note, due to upcoming construction work, Britannia will be closed 11-23 March and 25-28 June.

Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction

Step aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia, Her Majesty The Queen’s former floating palace for over 40 years. Berthed at Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh, follow in the footsteps of Royalty to discover the heart and soul of this most special of Royal residences.

Explore Britannia’s five decks with the complimentary audio handset tour, available in 30 languages.

The Britannia Experience

Discover what life was like on board Her Majesty The Queen's floating Royal residence. You can follow in the footsteps of world leaders such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Rajiv Gandhi. Tour highlights include the State Apartments and Royal Bedrooms, a sample of life below decks and the gleaming Engine Room.

Royal Deck Tea Room

Enjoy delicious, and freshly prepared, home-made food, stunning views and a warm welcome at the Royal Deck Tea Room. Previously where the Royal Family enjoyed drinks receptions, sumptuous buffets, or played deck games. Now you can treat yourself with specialty teas, coffees and lunch in spectacular surroundings.

Britannia's fabulous Gift Shop has a great range of exclusive souvenir gifts, Royal gifts, china, toys, food and nautical items. Hand-picked by our team of experts, you'll find some of the bestsellers online, with the full range available in the Gift Shop on the 2 nd floor of Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre.

Visit: www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/plan-your-visit/whats-on/

Please note, The Royal Yacht Britannia is closed on 1 January and 25 December. The last admission to the Royal Yacht on 24 December is 2:30pm

Jan* - Mar 10am-3pm (last admission) Apr - Aug 9.30am-4pm (last admission) Sept 10am - 4pm (last admission) Oct 10am - 3.30pm (last admission) Nov - Dec* 10am - 3pm (last admission) *Closed 1st Jan & 25th Dec

Visit The Royal Yacht Britannia Website

Tel: 0131 555 5566

• LOCATED: 2nd Floor

I visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, the royal family's luxurious private cruise ship known as a 'floating palace.' Take a look inside.

• The Royal Yacht Britannia was the royal family's private yacht from 1953 to 1997.
• The ship is now a museum open to the public in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• The tour shows the Queen's bedroom, state rooms used for entertaining, and crew bunks.

The Royal Yacht Britannia was the royal family's private yacht from 1953 to 1997.

With its many royal family vacations and official tours, the yacht logged over 1 million miles , the equivalent of one trip around the world for each of its 44 years at sea.

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

The Labour government decommissioned the ship in 1997 due to its high operation cost of £11 million each year, Reuters reported . That's equivalent to about $23 million today.

At the decommissioning ceremony, the Queen  shed a rare public tear .

The ship has made several appearances in Netflix's "The Crown," including season five .

The yacht is now a museum open to the public in Edinburgh, Scotland.

On a recent trip to Scotland , I booked a ticket for the Royal Yacht Britannia museum, which costs £18.50 ($23) for adults.

The entrance is located inside the Ocean Terminal shopping center in Edinburgh.

Before boarding the yacht, visitors walk through a museum detailing the boat's history and connection to the royal family.

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

The museum displays photos of the royal family's life aboard the ship, as well as items like crew uniforms.

Then, a walkway with more photos leads to the deck of the boat.

The ship is docked on the water just outside the shopping center.

I listened to the audio tour of the ship on my phone by scanning a QR code.

There were also separate listening devices available.

Each room of the ship had a number that you could type in and press "play" to hear about your surroundings in an array of languages.

The first stop was the bridge, the main control point of the yacht.

In this small space, officers navigated the seas and recorded data in the ship's logbooks.

Outside, the flag deck is the highest point on the ship.

Britannia had three masts, and different flags were used to communicate with other ships on the water.

The admiral's cabin and suite is the most spacious on the ship, aside from the royal apartments.

The admiral's accommodations featured a day room, bedroom, bathroom, and pantry. The sofa and armchairs in the dayroom are over 100 years old and came from the previous royal yacht, Victoria and Albert III.

The royal family often sunbathed, played deck hockey, or swam in a collapsible swimming pool on the Veranda Deck.

Part of the yacht's royal quarters, the deck was also used for receptions and group photos.

Prince Philip occasionally set up his easel on the deck to paint.

Overlooking the Veranda Deck, the Sun Lounge was one of the Queen's favorite rooms on the ship.

Queen Elizabeth would often take her breakfast and afternoon tea in the Sun Lounge.

The Queen's bedroom on the Royal Yacht Britannia featured bed linens that once belonged to Queen Victoria.

The embroidered silk panel above the Queen's bed, commissioned in 1953, cost £450 ($560, or $6,250 in today's money).

Her sheets were embossed with "HM The Queen."

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had separate bedrooms connected by an adjoining door.

Each room had its own bathroom.

Philip's bedroom featured red linens, and he requested pillowcases without lace trim.

A button next to each of their beds would summon a royal steward.

Across the hall, the Honeymoon Suite was the only room onboard with a double bed.

The double bed was requested by then-Prince Charles when he honeymooned with Princess Diana in 1981.

The room was also used as a nursery when the royal children were young.

The Anteroom served as a recreational space for the officers, off-limits to the rest of the crew.

Officers would spend their time here listening to the radio and playing board games.

The royal family occasionally dined in the adjoining Wardroom.

Britannia's 19 officers ate meals here, accompanied by the Royal Marines Band.

Britannia has three galleys, which are still working kitchens today.

The galleys prepare food for the Royal Deck Tea Room and events hosted on the ship.

The Royal Deck Tea Room offers an extensive menu of soups, sandwiches, scones, and other treats for visitors to the museum.

The royal family once used the space to entertain guests and play deck games.

The state dining room is the largest room on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, and many other world leaders dined here with the royal family.

The placement of each utensil was measured with a ruler.

Just off the state dining room, the Queen's sitting room served as her office.

Here, the Queen would meet with her press secretaries and prepare for royal visits.

On the opposite side of the hall, the Duke of Edinburgh had his own sitting room.

Both Philip and Charles used the room as a study. Philip kept a model of his first naval command, the HMS Magpie, above his desk.

The telephones connecting the sitting rooms to each other and their private secretaries' offices are identical to the phones used in Buckingham Palace.

The large Drawing Room and connecting Anteroom could accommodate up to 250 guests.

The Drawing Room featured an electric fireplace and cozy floral furniture. When it wasn't being used as a reception space during formal events, the royal family used it to relax and play games on the card tables.

Petty officers and Royal Marine sergeants kicked back in their living quarters, also known as the mess.

Petty officers would occasionally entertain the Queen and other royal family members here.

The crew bunks weren't as glamorous as the royal apartments.

Each bunk folded up into a seat, and crew members stored their possessions in lockers.

Britannia's NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) shop sold souvenirs and sweets, as well as essentials like toothpaste.

Diana once bought Prince William a Britannia souvenir shirt from the shop. Today, it sells homemade fudge to museum guests.

The ship's sick bay and operating theater still feature the original furnishings from the 1950s.

The ship's doctor attended to crew members, while the Queen's royal surgeon traveled with her on voyages.

Britannia's laundry room could reach temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit as it washed up to 600 shirts in one day.

The royal family's laundry was done on different days than the crew's laundry.

All of the clocks onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia are stopped at 3:01 p.m.

The clocks are frozen at the  time the Queen stepped off the ship for the last time  during its decommissioning ceremony in December 1997.

The tour concludes in a gift shop full of royal souvenirs.

Amid the Britannia-themed mugs, pens, and aprons, the gift shop also sold replicas of royal jewelry.

There's even a photo-op at the end of the tour where you can practice your royal wave.

The tour was full of surprising facts about royal life and travels, and I couldn't believe that we actually got to see inside Queen Elizabeth's bedroom on the ship. It's definitely worth a visit.

• Main content

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Review Highlights

“ What you can see is: the sleeping rooms of the royal family ; those for the staff and the guests. ” in 26 reviews

“ They also offer audio guide at the entrance so we could have better understanding of what is what. ” in 13 reviews

“ The entrance in the Ocean Terminal is great, the audio tour is excellent and the boat is laid out perfectly. ” in 14 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

Ocean Terminal

Edinburgh EH6 6JJ

United Kingdom

Amenities and More

About the business.

Experience the UK's No. 1 Visitor Attraction (Best UK Attraction Which? Magazine). The Royal Yacht Britannia proudly served the Royal Family for over 40 years, sailing over one million miles around the world. Now berthed in Edinburgh, you can follow in the footsteps of Royalty and world leaders with a fascinating complimentary audio tour of her magnificent five decks, available in 27 languages. Tablets are available with the British tour in British and American Sign Language. There is an audio handset tour in 'Basic English' for visitors with learning disabilities. From the Royal Apartments to the Crew's Quarters and Engine Room, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Treat yourself in the Royal Deck Tea Room with delicious menus made on board in the Royal Galley, stunning waterfront views and waiter service that will make you feel like Royalty. Complete your tour with a browse round the fabulous Gift Shop in Ocean Terminal. The Royal Yacht Britannia is also an exclusive private events venue. …

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

A unique experience. The rich history and opulence are unparalleled. The tour includes many different areas and allows you to see the areas that visitors did not see (such as the laundry room).

We took the hop on hop off bus here. Unfortunately, the ticket agent didn't reduce our ticket prices with tour ticket for the bus; however, we contacted them afterwards and they made arrangements for the proper credit. Wonderful customer service! The vessel itself and the interiors were all excellently preserved and a marvel to see. You could imagine when the royals were milling about or the many staff were busy to keep the yacht moving and operating. We enjoyed the self guided tour. There were plenty of restrooms on board for public use. There was also a cafe for tea and a fudge shop.

I've been wanting to visit the Queen's Royal Yacht since I was a kid. I just knew I couldn't visit Scotland without seeing it, so it was the first thing I did after I arrived in Scotland. Parking was plentiful on my visit, however, I had a hard time locating the parking garage. I had to drive up and down the street a couple of times before I realized where the entrance was. Totally my fault because I was still learning the methods of driving in Scotland at this point. I purchased my timed entry ticket a month in advance, but I was running 30 minutes late for my entry window due to heavy rain and even heavier traffic from Glasgow. I was worried that they would deny me entry when I got there per the entry rules on their website. However, when I arrived, they scanned my ticket with no issues. I was very happy I purchased my ticket in advance because they were extremely busy. I do wish they would remove the timed entry though, it's truly stressful when things happen out of your control and you can't make your entry window. After my ticket was scanned, I waited in line to pickup an audio headset for the tour. The audio tour is great because it gives you some history and insight into what you're seeing as you move along the Yacht. I'd set aside 3 hours for the tour if you want to see, read, and hear the audio in every room. If you're short on time, 2 hours is the minimum amount of time I'd plan around. The Yacht is huge and if it's busy, you'll have to do a lot of waiting in line before you can move forward. It was raining and cold during my visit, so guests who didn't have umbrellas huddled into some of the warm rooms to get out of the rain and warm up. This really made it harder to see and capture pictures in some of the key areas. I highly suggest you bring an umbrella just incase, it's Scotland after all, and it will make your tour easier if it does rain. The Yacht was absolutely amazing. It was cool to see Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's bedroom's, as well as the Royal Dining Room that hosted President's, World Leaders, and other Notable persons. My absolute favorite was the Sun deck. I could totally visualize Princess Margaret sitting in a lounge chair with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of something strong in the other as she looked out at the ocean. I'm sure the Royal children including King Charles have some great family memories on that sun deck. Lastly, I really enjoyed learning about the Royal Navy and other service staff who manned and lived on the Royal Yacht. It's amazing to think it took 300 service people to run this ship anytime the Queen, Prince, or other Royals were on a voyage. It's nice to know the service staff were well taken care of as well. Ticket prices are well worth everything you get to see and learn about while on the Royal Yacht. Queen Elizabeth II truly lived a Royal Life made for a Queen. I'm grateful I was able to get a glimpse of the life she was given. People say Scotland was Her Majesty's favorite place in the world, it's only suitable that her home on the sea rest in Scotland as well. I highly recommend a visit to the Royal Yacht if you ever find yourself in Edinburgh, it's definitely worth the visit.

See all photos from Monica H. for The Royal Yacht Britannia

Amazing to the opulent wealth of British Royals. Captains were admirals in the royal navy. Used for weekend cruise ship. Costing millions of pounds. For no other purpose than spoiling incredible wealthy people at taxpayer expense. Peasants.

Great trip through history and the exhibits on the yacht are fantastic. The tea room was also a great experience and the entire staff were helpful and friendly.

Vies from the tea room

We visited the Royal Yacht Britannia years ago and this is the first time we have been back. What a great decision. The entrance in the Ocean Terminal is great, the audio tour is excellent and the boat is laid out perfectly. The tea room during the middle of the tour is lovely with a service befitting the setting. All in all a lovely 1 1/2 hour visit.

Our visit aboard the RYB was so much more interesting than we imagined it would be! This was Queen Elizabeth & Royal Family's home away from home from 1953 to 1997. It sailed 1,000,000 nautical miles. It's a fascinating contrast with the stately private and public rooms that the Royal Family occupied and the below deck quarters of the "Yotties" who served aboard. The RYB hosted 968 state visits with such luminaries as: Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan and Rajiv Ghandhi. There were many other official receptions, four Royal honeymoons and over 44 years of Royal holidays spent aboard. I especially liked the Queen's bedroom and Prince Phillip's next door, the state dining room with ornate place settings, the "casual" wood floored sun room and the top deck Tea Room. The officers' pub below decks, the non-officer lounge and the various gifts from around the world were also worthwhile. It's £16 for adults and a free audio set (a bit clunky and unwieldy though) is included in the price. There's a really well-stocked gift shop with lots of variety and they sell the ship's homemade fudge both onboard and in the shop. Your admission helps to preserve the ship via the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. This was the last of 83 Royal yachts in a tradition that began in the 1660's! There is free parking at the Leith mall where it is located. We took the city bus from the Royal Mile and the bus drivers were kind enough to help us with the fare. I usually don't say this about "tourist" attractions, but I'd come back for high tea on that beautiful upper deck with a view. Yelp Challenge 2018: 70/100

As an American, we found it interesting at the opulence of the Royal family. We have no royalty here in USA, so we find it interesting at the money spent to keep the Royals living in such opulence. I am disabled, and it was great for me to see it. The staff was wonderful and helpful. I was surprised to se that Admirals commanded the operation of what essentially was a pleasure craft for the Royal family. As I understand it....they are not actually in command of anything in the UK. Basically public figureheads. In the US, our President lives in opuance also, but much is needed to protect the actual head of our Government. The Britannia is well worth seeing, and this was my second visit being there 2018 as well.

Nice tour, but a shame that you can't move directly between decks (there is an access stairwell that connects all decks). Nicely maintained vessel. The Royal Deck Tearoom on the Britannia was a pleasant stop for coffee and tea during our tour of the yacht. Pretty standard tearoom fare, and a bit expensive, but great views and nice place to spend some time. The Britannia is an easy bus ride from the Royal Mile area, but still took over 30 minutes to get there.

Being a navy veteran, I was really anticipating our visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia and I wasn't disappointed. The yacht is well preserved and really shows off the grandeur of how the Royal family traveled. There is a bit of a "disconnect" between the grandeur of the yacht and the real world as you enter the yacht exhibit through a shopping mall. There is an admission fee to tour the yacht but it's well worth the cost of admission. We used the self-guided audio tour which did a good job of explaining what we were seeing. This is an excellent attraction and is well worth the admission fee. The yacht is well preserved and well maintained.

5 other reviews that are not currently recommended

Collections Including The Royal Yacht Britannia

By Torterry C.

By Pamela S.

Our Scotland Trip!

By Jared M.

By Trent W.

By Kevan M.

People Also Viewed

Hopetoun House

The Bonham Hotel

Intercontinental Edinburgh The George

Mansfield Traquair Centre

Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh

Holiday Inn Express Hotel Edinburgh-Royal Mile

Festival Theatre

Dalhousie Castle Hotel

Prestonfield

Venues & Event Spaces Cost Guide

Venues and Event Spaces Near Me

Other Venues & Event Spaces Nearby

Find more Venues & Event Spaces near The Royal Yacht Britannia

Related Cost Guides

Boat Charters

Golf Cart Rentals

Karaoke Rental

Party & Event Planning

Photo Booth Rentals

Valet Services

Venues and Event Spaces

• 5 More Cost Guides

Ship shape: 5 of the world’s most spectacular royal yachts

By Dora Davies-Evitt

The Dannebrog

This Danish royal yacht serves as an official and private residence for the Danish Queen and other members of the royal family when they are on summer cruises in home waters or on official visits overseas. Made in the naval work yard Orlogsvaerftet, Copenhagen, in 1931, the ship was baptised by Queen Alexandrine, the wife of King Christian X. The yacht has a rich history, with many decades of royalty aboard. King Frederick IX is known to have taken his showers on the boat's bridge, hosed down by a member of his team. It has been anchored in almost every port in Denmark, as well as Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and all the way to the coastline of the US; training around 30 Danish naval conscripts every year. Based on the design of the floating palaces of the XIX century, the Dannebrog is more than just a boat.

By Harriet Johnston

By Isaac Bickerstaff

The largest privately owned super yacht in the world, this 180-metre vessel was built for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, for use as a day boat to reach his favourite diving grounds. The boat can hold 36 guests and as many as 80 crew members - it also includes a gym, pool and a special ‘golf training room’. It is reported to have cost the sovereign approximately 600 million dollars. Filled with luxury, the engineers apparently worked to ensure that there is as little turbulence as possible, so that the chandeliers don’t tinkle at sea. Its record is soon to be beaten by a new yacht: the REV Ocean. A vessel which, at 183 metres, was designed by Norwegian millionaire Kjell Inge Rokke, and has been created to clean the ocean floors.

HMY Britannia 

HMS Britannia 

Built in 1953 for the late Queen Elizabeth II (who was crowned that same year), after 44 years of service the HMS Britannia was decommissioned and is now on display in Edinburgh. The vast and lavishly designed yacht has sailed over one million miles, accommodating 968 official royal visits. The regal vessel was once described by Queen Elizabeth as ‘the one place where I can truly relax’. The boat boasts dining rooms adorned with gifts from around the world, including a whale rib found by her husband on a beach, as well as a sun lounge with furniture chosen by the queen, and a garage built to house the royal Rolls-Royce. Sir Winston Churchill, Boris Yeltsin, Rajiv Gandhi and Nelson Mandela are among those who have joined the Queen on board over the years. Four royal honeymoons have also taken place aboard, including King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales's 16-day trip to the Mediterranean in 1981.

Le Norge is the pride of the Norwegian royal family, dating back to 1947. In 1905, after the Norwegians became independent from Sweden, they chose Prince Carl of Denmark as their monarch, proposing to him the yacht on his appointment. However, due to the difficult economic situation in Norway after the dissolution of the union with Sweden, King Haakon VII (formerly Prince Carl) did not call upon the Government to provide a yacht. Instead, the yacht was given as a gift from the people of Norway to their king decades later, purchased after the spread of a nationwide collection effort. The ship, which measures 80 metres in length is maintained by the Royal Norwegian Navy and sets sail during the summer months. It suffered a violent fire in 1985 while under maintenance, with only the shell and the motors saved from the incident. The impressive ship has since been entirely reconstructed. 

Owned by Princess Caroline of Hanover, Pacha III has been passed from hand to hand since it was first put on water in 1936, under the name Arlette II. The 36-metre-long boat has had very many owners: in 1940 it was requisitioned by the Royal Navy, when it went back to the Mediterranean coast under the name Priamar. And in the '50s it was bought by French industrialist Louis Renault, who renamed it Briseis. The yacht was then sold to the painter Bernard Buffet, in 1967, who moored it in Saint-Tropez, in front of the ever glamorous L'Escale restaurant. 

In 1990, by now in a depleted state, it was sold to Stefano Casiraghi and Caroline of Hanover, who had it entirely renovated. Casiraghi was never able to enjoy the yacht, however, after he died during a racing accident that same year. It reportedly took more than two years to restore the vessel to its former splendour and renamed Pacha III (in reference to the initials of Princess Caroline’s children). It is now primarily used to take the Hanover Royal Family on extended Mediterranean escapes. 

By Isaac Zamet

By Ollie Macnaughton

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

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

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

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

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

Royal Yacht Britania Facts and History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Tour the Royal Yacht Britania

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

How to Visit the Royal Britania

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

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

The 12 Best Luxury Luggage Pieces of 2024

How to Spend a Perfect Weekend on 30A

The Most Remote Destinations on Earth

How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Jackson Hole

The Most Expensive Luxury AirBnBs in the World

The 15 Best Travel Purses to Carry You in Style

Paris's Most Beautiful Churches and Cathedrals

How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona

Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris’s Left Bank

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

The 8 Best Luxury Babymoon Destinations

Committees, Class Secs and Convenors

Club policies, vision and mission, other sports & recreation, scuba diving, sustainability.

GET IN TOUCH

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong View location map Tel: (852) 2832 2817 Fax: (852) 2572 5399

Record numbers for British Keelboat League 2024 season openers

The British Keelboat League  has kicked off its 2024 season in style.

A record number of teams raced in the first two BKL qualifiers of the year and two British clubs have been competing with the SAILING Champions League in Europe.

The BKL aims to break down barriers to keelboat racing with a #rockupandrace series offering inter-club fleet racing at venues around the country.

With a rigged and ready-to-go fleet of keelboats at each weekend qualifier, teams compete in a series of short sprint races against other clubs.

The top teams are then invited to a national final to battle it out for the overall BKL title and a chance to compete in the SAILING Champions League 2025.

This year’s final will be hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club in September 2024.

Schools championship

The first two teams to qualify for the BKL 2024 final are Ryde School with Upper Chine and Sherborne School after the season got underway with the BKL Schools Championship in London ( 9-10 March 2024).

Eighteen teams from 11schools took the opportunity to race the Royal Thames Yacht Club’s fleet of Sonar keelboats at Queen Mary Sailing Club, in an event promoted by the British Schools Dinghy Racing Association.

More than 40 races in total saw Ryde School with Upper Chine posting an impressive series of results to finish first overall with 12 wins, five 2nds and three 3rds, with Sherbourne Gold second overall and Oxford third.

As Brian Mumford, Head of Sailing at Kings School Canterbury, summed up: “What a great event!”

Scottish students march forth

Elevens team competed in the second qualifier of the year with the BKL Forth/Scottish Student Sailing Keelboat Championship (16-17 March 2024).

Organised by Scottish Student Sailing and Port Edgar Yacht Club, Inverkeithing Bay on the Forth provided the backdrop for the racing in Hunter 707s.

The Saturday saw a building breeze and sunshine for an action-packed 14 races but a lack of wind on the Sunday meant it wasn’t to be on the second day.

Strathclyde University, with two teams in first and second overall, qualified for one place in the BKL final, and Dundee University in third overall claimed the other spot.

Scottish Student Sailing thanked all who supported the event, including race officer Eilidh Millar, Port Edgar YC, K-Sail, RYA Scotland, Tunnocks and the volunteers.

SAILING Champions League

Teams have also been in action with the SAILING Champions League in Europe after qualifying with last year’s BKL.

Marconi Sailing Club and West Hoe Sailing club competed in Vilamoura, Portugal (15-17 March), finishing 12th and 15th respectively.

Although neither qualified for the final, as Marconi SC helm Dan Nickalls explained afterwards: “It was a fantastic few days of high-quality racing. We were genuinely competitive throughout, our boat handling underwent some minor transformations learning from other teams and our tactical skills developed as we learned from our mistakes. Exhausted but happy!”

West Hoe SC’s Tom Low said his club’s newly assembled team was on an “almost vertical learning curve” but had relished the challenge and enjoyed “the honour of sailing in such a highly competitive international event”.

British teams at Sailing Champions League Qualifier 1

Next up for British clubs in the SAILING Champions League will be teams from Royal Thames Yacht Club and Solent University competing in Berlin, 12-14 April.

Could your club make it to the 2024 BKL finals and win through to compete in Europe?

Entries are now open for the third qualifier on the calendar, the Women’s BKL Championship, sailing asymmetric RS21keelboats.

Part of the Women’s Open Keelboat Championship, 11-12 May at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, early bird entries close 31 March 2024.

The BKL is open to teams from any British sailing club. Look out for entries opening in for the rest of the 2024 qualifiers and save the dates!

• 18-19 May, Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham on Crouch, Hunter 707
• 15-16 June, Marconi SC/Stone SC, East Coast, Essex, SB20
• 20-21 July, Rutland SC, Midlands, RS21
• Date to be confirmed, BKL Sailability, WPNSA, Dorset, Elliott 7M
• 27-29 September, BKL Final at Royal Southern Yacht Club, J70

Keep up to date with all the news by following @britishkeelboatleague on Facebook and Instagram and at British Keelboat League .

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

Enjoy the cruise, views and food. - Flotilla Radisson Royal

• Europe    
• Russia    
• Central Russia    
• Moscow    
• Moscow - Things to Do    
• Flotilla Radisson Royal

This was a surprise for me by my partner and daughter. Getting onto the boat was very orderly, and... read more

We did a lunch cruise, boarding at 1230hrs and returning to the dock promptly at... read more

Enjoy the cruise, views and food.

Great fun and quite unique. I have done the Radisson Ice Breaker Cruise a number of times and it never loses its magic. On this occasion [February 17th 2018] , I had a meal as well and the marvellous Natalia accommodated my requests to stagger the meal---blini with red caviar, blini stuffed with veal, crab salad, blini with jam and sour cream so I could eat/drink[great cocktails] and enjoy the views. Will always do this when I am in Moscow in winter-followed up by dessert and a hot cocktail in the adjacent Hotel Ukraine after disembarking.

Dear feckerdoc, thank you for the feedback about your cruise on the yacht "Radisson Royal" and many thanks for the constant selection of yachts "Radisson" as your leisure. Flotilla “Radisson Royal” has 10 perfectly equipped yachts designed for year-round entertaining excursion cruises on the Moscow River with restaurant service aboard. Our company organizes cruises 365 days a year. Flotilla "Radisson Royal, Moscow" combines picturesque views of Moscow sights with excellent catering service. Gourmet cuisine served on board “Radisson Royal” yachts is presented by 2 masterchefs: International cuisine from our Brand chef – Sergey Maslov and urban cuisine with a personal author's touch from the chief Nikolay Bakunov. We will be glad to see you again on Board our yachts! Best regards, administration of Flotilla “Radisson Royal” .

Took a cruise with Radisson Royal on Valentine's night. It was a couples cruise. Very romantic. It was our third cruise with Radisson. Moscow is a beautiful city at night from the river.

Hello, dear Morris L! Thank you for the feedback about your cruise on the yacht "Radisson Royal". Flotilla “Radisson Royal” has 10 perfectly equipped yachts designed for year-round entertaining excursion cruises on the Moscow River with restaurant service aboard. Our company organizes cruises 365 days a year. Come on our thematic cruises and food festivals, you will discover still a lot. Let you offer a First class, respectable interiors, the attention of the stewards, privacy and comfort. And Royal-class – for anyone who knows how to relax, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday – live music. We will be glad to see you again on Board our yachts! Best regards.

See the sights of Moscow lit up as you dine your way along the river. Our food and service were excellent and even on a cold night we were completely warm and comfortable. We chartered the whole boat and had our own entertainment. A beautiful evening to remember.

Hello, dear skyhoosier! Thank you for the feedback about your cruise on the yacht "Radisson Royal" . Our main goal is to provide high quality services that will allow you to fully enjoy your trip and come back to us again. Come on our thematic cruises and food festivals, you will discover still a lot. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday cruises from pier "Radisson Royal hotel" with live musical accompaniment in the Royal class. We hope to see You again. With best wishes.

It was an amazing cruise. The food was delicious and the views were perfect. I recommend going in the evening.

Hello, dear Alexa N! Thank you for the feedback about your cruise on the yacht "Radisson Royal" . Our main goal is to provide high quality services that will allow you to fully enjoy your trip and come back to us again. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday cruises from pier "Radisson Royal hotel" with live musical accompaniment in the Royal class. We hope to see You again. With best wishes.

The cruise was amazing,I suggest to go at night cos the atmosphere was perfect.Food wasn’t bad and up to the standards i expected.

Dear Andrea P, thank you for the feedback about your cruise on the yacht "Radisson Royal". Flotilla “Radisson Royal” has 10 perfectly equipped yachts designed for year-round entertaining excursion cruises on the Moscow River with restaurant service aboard. Our company organizes cruises 365 days a year. On our 2,5-3 hours cruise passengers will enjoy the most remarkable sights of Moscow: Kremlin, Novodevichy Convent, monument to Peter I, St. Basil's Cathedral, University and other symbolic monuments. On Board of the yacht working with English speaking staff. Also on Board the yacht presented the guides with excursion material in 6 languages - Russian, English, Chinese, German, Spanish, French. We will be glad to see you again on Board our yachts! Best regards.

We have made a reservation for 11 people 2 months in advance but there was no table available for us !!! We waited (standing...) for 20 minutes until they got us a table.... They couldn't even seat us together ! Disgrace.... This is our fifth time in Moscow and Fourth time on this cruise but this time it was definitely our worst experience in Moscow, ever !

Dear Roy B! On behalf of the flotilla "Radisson Royal" thank You for taking the time to share your impressions about the last walk, leaving a detailed review! Please accept our sincere apologies for spoiled the impression resulting from the lack of attention from the staff. We will bring this information to the head of Department! Our company organizes cruises 365 days a year. Come on our thematic cruises and food festivals, you will discover still a lot. We will be glad to see you again on Board our yachts! Best regards.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

The Kate Middleton Photo That Was Too Good to Be True

By Jessica Winter

It’s such a lovely photograph—if only it were real. The occasion is Mothering Sunday, the U.K. equivalent of Mother’s Day, which fell this year in March. Mom sits at the center, big toothpaste smile, and she’s having a great hair day. She’s pulling her two little ones close to her on either side, and her oldest boy is just behind, beaming affection, his arms slung around her. They all seem to be laughing at whatever the photographer—Dad—is saying or doing. It’s sweater weather, and they look so cozy in their knits (that fluttery scalloped collar under the girl’s cardigan! A dream!). This picture is why people have kids; it’s why people scroll Instagram wondering why everybody else’s family is nicer than theirs. If there was something faintly uncanny about the photo—did Mom’s head seem to float on a different plane? Was her neck somehow foreshortened, or was that just the cowl-neck on her sweater?—maybe it was just the sense of otherworldly perfection.

Because the mom in the picture is Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has been recuperating from abdominal surgery and been out of the public eye since Christmas, and because the credited photographer is William, the future King of England, the image was released to news agencies and posted to the British Royal Family’s social-media accounts, pointedly dated “2024.” Sweet as the picture was, something possibly ghoulish haunted the motivations behind its publication. The moment it hit the Internet, it scanned as a proof of life for a princess who had become indefinitely invisible without much explanation, leaving a void that people filled with rampant speculation and conspiracy theories . The audience for the photograph was large, and they peered at it closely. Perhaps inevitably, they thought they saw strange things: not just touch-ups of hair or skin but serious tampering.

Amateur analysts should always tread lightly when it comes to digital photos, which are typically full of noise and junk. Once, many years ago, a snapshot of my cat wandered onto the Internet and became a lower-tier meme—“ Invisible Motocross ”—inspiring passionate discussion across an anonymous Venn diagram of cat-culture scholars and forensic-photography sleuths about how the distribution of light and shadow behind my cat and the way her furry outline cut against the background proved, without a doubt, that the photo was a fake. (My rebuttal: If I knew how to use Photoshop, I would have edited in a nicer living-room backdrop. That apartment was such a shithole!) Stare at any meaningful image for too long and you will eventually end up in the back yard with Lee Harvey Oswald , taking measuring tape to shadows, trying to strike that strange backward-leaning pose, looking like somebody’s patsy.

The Middleton-Windsor photograph , alas, was not an Invisible Motocross situation. What tears it is a spot not far below Kate’s collar—a seeming delineation between what appear to be two discrete images. This digital boundary cuts the zipper on Kate’s jacket in two and blurs the bottom half. It’s like a pattern mismatching at the seam of a poorly stitched garment, and, once you see it, you start seeing all the other torn and puckering seams in the image: the way Princess Charlotte’s wrist looks too big for her sleeve, which seems to be melting into her skirt; the way that strange snippets of hair fall on and blend into various shoulders. Soon, in an extraordinary and humiliating wave of repudiation, news agencies including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and Getty all issued kill notices for the picture, forbidding its distribution on their channels. “ AT CLOSER INSPECTION IT APPEARS THAT THE SOURCE HAS MANIPULATED THE IMAGE ,” the A.P.’s notice explained, going on to say that an unedited version of the photo would not be forthcoming. On TikTok, an impressively resourceful sleuth dug up video from a 2023 charity event, in which Kate and her children seemed to be in the same outfits that they wore in the supposedly new, post-surgery picture.

Damage control begat more reason for damage control. Despite the Royal Family’s famous dictum “Never complain, never explain,” an apology was issued: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.” The statement was signed “C,” for Catherine, even though William was the credited photographer, and thus ever so slightly more plausible as the Kensington Palace employee who is responsible for doing touch-ups on official photographs.

A furious Daily Mail editor declared that Kate had been “thrown under a bus” by Kensington Palace—forced to take the fall for a major institutional lapse: “I think it’s disgraceful, I think it’s very ungentlemanly of Prince William to put the onus on her. For goodness sake, he’s the one who took the photograph.” On social media, video circulated of an interview with Prince Harry, professional royal defector, talking about the family’s propensity for naming scapegoats in times of P.R. crisis. (As many have pointed out, it may be impossible to exaggerate the media tsunami that would have erupted if Meghan Markle, whom the U.K. press always cast as the Wicked Witch of the West against Kate’s diaphanous, do-no-wrong Glinda, had distributed a doctored photo of herself with Archie and Lilibet.)

At a certain point, the attempted crisis management began to look almost intentionally self-sabotaging. A grainy image emerged of William and Kate in the back seat of a car leaving Windsor Castle; Kate is turned away from the camera, in one-quarter profile. Almost immediately, a savvy royal watcher found a 2016 image of Kate, which appears to map onto the paparazzi snap with suggestive precision. The photographer who claimed credit for the car picture, which was syndicated through an agency called GoffPhotos, denied to the New York Post that any editing shenanigans had taken place. But the discovery of the older picture intensified the ghostliness of the new one, casting Kate, in her demure chignon and pillbox hat, as a gothic apparition that you can’t be sure you really see, like the lady in the lake in “ The Turn of the Screw ” or the woman in the doorway of the grand house of Tony Soprano’s afterlife. Suddenly there was a chill in the air, a shiver down the spine.

The most plausible explanation for Kate’s absence remains the simplest, and it is also the one that was announced in the first place, back in January: she is recovering from major surgery. What Kensington Palace did not disclose at that time was how hopelessly naïve it appears to be about technology, social media, and its global public’s sophisticated understanding of them both. As David Yelland, a former editor of the U.K. tabloid the Sun , said on a podcast he co-hosts, “I think this is a twentieth-century organization, maybe even a sixteenth-century organization, trying to play twenty-first-century games.” Some of their failings, however, are timeless. “The royal body exists to be looked at,” the novelist Hilary Mantel wrote in a controversial and brilliant 2013 essay for the London Review of Books . If Kate is not seen, she ceases to exist; she seems to die, and throws her public into a confused quasi-mourning that demands deft and elegant intercession. (There was a whole movie about this!) Nobody at any time, neither a subject of Elizabeth I nor a TikTok influencer in 2024, would ever be satisfied by a smudged glimpse of maybe-Kate’s ear and cheekbone—which is all that the GoffPhotos picture had to offer—as evidence of the royal body’s good health.

The rap on Kate was always that, despite her abundant beauty, charm, and high-heeled indefatigability—maybe in part because of it—she was boring, especially in contrast to Diana, her husband’s mother and eternal Princess of Wales, who possessed all of Kate’s gifts and more: vulnerability, unpredictability, a certain irresistible too-muchness. Mantel, in her London Review of Books essay, called Kate, not without empathy, “a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own.” Mantel went on, “She appears precision-made, machine-made, so different from Diana whose human awkwardness and emotional incontinence showed in her every gesture. Diana was capable of transforming herself from galumphing schoolgirl to ice queen, from wraith to Amazon. Kate seems capable of going from perfect bride to perfect mother, with no messy deviation.”

The time line of Diana’s fascinating transformations can be tracked in indelible, often appealingly imperfect images: the teen-age day-care worker unaware of the sun shining through her translucent skirt; the demure bride floating on plumes of taffeta; the doting young mother nuzzling her boys in casual photos taken en plein air; the supermodel in the revenge dress; the jet-setting divorcée getting papped on a playboy’s yacht. Kate could never achieve the iconic stature that Diana built from these images, and likely she never wanted to. (It is not terribly reductive to say that Diana died in the midst of doing what Kate is struggling to do now: deal with the press.) But, aside from her wedding to William, in 2011, the ongoing uproar over these recent photographs is the most captivating episode of Kate’s entire public career, and all because of a spectacularly failed attempt to present the perfect image. ♦

New Yorker Favorites

The repressive, authoritarian soul of “ Thomas the Tank Engine .” 

Why the last snow on Earth may be red .

Harper Lee’s abandoned true-crime novel .

How the super-rich are preparing for doomsday .

What if a pill could give you all the benefits of a workout ?

A photographer’s college classmates, back then and now .

Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker .

By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Ian Parker

By Patrick Radden Keefe

By Nicholas Thompson

Just added to your cart

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Online Ship Shop

Collection: RHKYC-Branded Products

• Previous page
• Page 1 of 8
• choosing a selection results in a full page refresh
• press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection

Los Angeles

• San Francisco
• Washington DC

Cover Story

Hear eva longoria roar during women’s history month as she leads her tequila brand to victory.

Gordon Ramsay Is Turning Up The Heat In Miami With The Opening Of Lucky Cat

Romero Britto On Transcending The World Of Fine Art to Expand His Massive Empire

Mario Carbone Is Planning A Major NYC Domination With The Opening Of ZZ’s Club New York

Katie Couric’s Advocation For Cancer Screening Paid Off — And May Have Saved Her Life

Luxury rules at the moscow yacht show.

by Maria Sapozhnikova

The windy Russian autumn weather might be a little bit tricky for sailing, but it doesn’t stop brave yachtsmen from all over the world from flocking to Russian capital in the beginning of September when the Moscow Yacht Show commences. The main Russian Yacht exhibition gathers professional and amateur yacht lovers together under the wing of The Royal Yacht Club.

This year it took place for a fourth time already. The exhibition is considered the principal event on the sporting and social calendar. The Moscow Yacht Show 2010 united in one area three of the largest Russian yachts distributors: Ultramarine, Nordmarine and Premium Yachts.

A wide range of yachts were on display for a week. An exhibition showcased yachts both from Russian manufacturers and world famous brands: Azimut, Princess, Ferretti, Pershing, Riviera, Doral, Linssen, etc.

It was a real feast for seafarers as visitors of the show had a unique chance not only to take a look at the newest superyachts before they hit the market, but also to evaluate their driving advantages during the test drive. The show provided an excellent opportunity for yacht enthusiasts to choose and buy a new boat for the next season.

The event started with the grandiose gala evening. It included grand dinner, the concert and professional awards ceremony for achievements in Russian yachting industry. The guests also enjoyed the annual regatta.

Special guest Paolo Vitelli, Azimut Benetti Group president, opened the evening.

Next year organizers assured guests they would bring more yachts, the scale of which will even make oligarch Roman Abramovich envious. Sounds very promising indeed.

Dori's World: Lunch with Karl Lagerfeld

Haute Event: Project Dinner Table Comes Features 5 MGM Grand Chefs

' . get_the_title() . ' ' ); >, related articles.

Lilly’s Club Returns To Monte Carlo With A Baccarat

Haute Wine + Spirits

Veuve clicquot + stella mccartney have created the ultimate.

Bruno Mars Pinky Promises A Good Time At His New Sin

The Pairing We’ve Been Waiting For: Daniel Humm’s Eleven

Latest news, you might also like.

The Longines Global Champions Tour: A Spectacle of Show Jumping Returns To Miami Beach

Lilly’s Club Returns To Monte Carlo With A Baccarat Lounge, Caviar Bump Concierge + More Over-The-Top Opulence

Veuve Clicquot + Stella McCartney Have Created The Ultimate Champagne Accessory

An Inside Look At The Iconic Members-Only Los Angeles Athletic Club’s Multimillion-Dollar Renovation

Inside this issue.

STAY CONNECTED

DISCOVER THE BEST KEPT SECRETS IN YOUR CITY

* All fields are mandatory

• Royal Deck Tearoom
• Group Visit
• Accessibility
• Annual Pass
• Our Green Tourism
• Weekly Snaps
• Things to do in Edinburgh
• What's On
• Private Events
• Private Dining
• Drinks Reception
• Private Tours
• Testimonials
• Meet The Team
• Historical Timeline
• Explore Britannia
• Royal Residence
• Life Below Decks
• Bestsellers
• Gift Vouchers

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

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

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

• Search this website

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, Britannia travelled around the world many times over for more than forty years.

What will be your highlight during a visit to The Royal Yacht Britannia ?

-Wander through the stunning yet understated State Apartments, where royalty, world leaders and celebrities met. Step into The State Drawing Room, where Sir No ë l Coward, Princess Diana and Princess Margaret all tickled the ivories on the Welmar grand piano, which was secured to the floor, in case of inclement weather.

-On a sunny Edinburgh day, bask in Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite room on Britannia, The Sun Lounge, where the Royal Family would take breakfast and afternoon tea. Look out for the hidden drinks cabinet and the rum tub!

-Don’t miss a photo opportunity on the Verandah Deck next to Britannia’s famous bell, the only place on board where The Royal Yacht’s name can be found, and the Deck where games would be played by members of the Royal Family. 

- Below deck , discover another side to Britannia as you experience the working ship’s life through The Bridge, The Admiral’s Quarters, Officers’ cabins, The Wardroom, Galleys, the Laundry and even the onboard Operating Theatre!

-Take home a sweet memory of a freshly-made fudge treat from the NAAFI onboard shop.

-Imagine the noise and the hustle and bustle within the immaculate Engine Room, barely changed since construction in 1953, and containing polished chrome, white enamel and gleaming black steam turbines.

-Learn about the Royal Family’s love of sailing in the Royal Sailing exhibition. 

-Raise a glass in the Royal Deck Tea Room while you can enjoy the far-reaching Leith waterfront views and choose from a delicious Champagne Cream Tea or melt-in-the-mouth cakes and scones, all prepared in the original Galleys.

-For young Captains in the making, spot the Cuddly Corgis in Britannia’s Corgi Treasure Hunt and specially created Children’s audio guide.

-Before you disembark and say farewell to The Royal Yacht Britannia, don't forget to indulge in some retail therapy in the Gift Shop where you can take home exclusive Britannia souvenirs from your amazing time aboard.

Visiting Britannia

Tripadvisor’s No.1 UK Attraction 2023

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

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

Step aboard to enjoy a great day out!

Fingal Hotel

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

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

Learn more: fingal.co.uk

• 125212, Moscow, Leningradskoye Highway, 39 p. 6 Royal Yacht Club
• Miami +1 786 233 7721 London +44 203 807 94 54 Moscow +7 495 215 19 11
• [email protected]