16 Photos Of The Royal Family On The Britannia

The Royal Yacht Britannia went into production in 1952 and is the setting for various parts of The Crown. In the first episode of Season 5, the costly ship’s reparations are controversial, as the Queen asks Prime Minister John Major for funding.

Here, Elizabeth II makes her way to the launching ceremony for the yacht in April 1953. Britannia traveled more than one million nautical miles during her tenure, according to the yacht’s official website.

Queen Elizabeth made almost 1,000 state visits via Britannia.

She hosted many world leaders such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, and Rajiv Gandhi.

Prince (now King) Charles and Princess Anne wave as the yacht disembarked in 1954 from Portsmouth Dockyard to meet their parents in Libya.

The Queen’s favorite part of Britannia was the Sun Lounge. There, she would have breakfast and afternoon tea.

The Britannia was a popular love boat among the Royals. In 1960, Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones took the yacht to the Caribbean for their 6-week honeymoon cruise.

The Queen and her sons Edward, Andrew, and Charles traveled on the Britannia to attend the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada.

Charles and Diana are one of the Royal couples who spent their honeymoon on the yacht. In 1981, they cruised the Mediterranean for 14 days.

Their sons, William and Harry, would sometimes join them aboard the Britannia on official visits. Here, they reunited for a trip to Canada in 1991.

Sarah Ferguson and Andrew also used the yacht for their honeymoon in 1986 to the Portuguese archipelago Praia da Vitoria.

Diana opted for a sunny, yellow ensemble for her 1983 trip to Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada.

The Britannia was decommissioned in late 1997. “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,” The Queen said at the yacht’s paying off ceremony, where she was seen crying.

However, it is currently docked in Edinburgh for people to visit.

It can also be rented out for parties! Zara Phillips (the Queen’s granddaughter) and Mike Tindall hosted a pre-wedding party on Britannia in 2011. Bon Voyage!