Dear

In this the year of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, The Royal Yacht Britannia's place in history becomes all the more significantas Britannia was the one Royal residence for which both The Queen and Prince Philip had final say in its plans and design.

During its 44 years in Royal Service and with a crew of 220 Royal Yachtsmen, Britannia was an ambassador for British business, sailing the equivalent of once round the world for each year, calling at over 600 ports in 135 countries.

The new Royal Yacht was commissioned by King George VI in 1951 but he died before the keel of the yacht was laid down.

The new Queen, together with her husband Prince Philip, took a keen interest in the yacht, approving plans and personally selecting furniture, fabrics and paintings for what was to become their floating palace. Simplicity was the key, working closely with designer Sir Hugh Casson, the Royal couple created a ‘country house at sea' with timeless elegance. A selection of Casson's sketches are available to view here.

HRH Prince Philip said, "Britannia is special for a number of reasons. 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."

And the iconic ship was famouslydescribed by The Queen as "The one place I can truly relax".

We would like to invite you on board to discover what made Britannia so special to all who knew her.

Be our guest. Step aboard for a private highlights tour followed by tea and scones in our Royal Deck Tea Room.

Kindest regards

Jennifer Campbell

The highlight of our Platinum Jubilee celebrations will be the former crew of Royal Yacht returning for ‘Yotties Week', from 30 May - 3 June. The teak decks will be bustling with the padding plimsoles
of 65 former Royal Yachtsmen who are returning to their duties on Britannia once again.

Platinum Jubilee celebrations on Britannia will also include the following:

• Celebratory dishes and cocktails in our Royal Deck Tea Room
• The Royal Collection's Official Platinum Jubilee China will be available in our Gift Shop
• Cake and refreshments served to visitors in our Gift Shop on June 2
• Musical entertainment for visitors in The State Apartments on June 2
• A city-wide Corgi Treasure Hunt