“I name this ship Britannia. I wish success to her and all who sail on her.” – HM the Queen

Our 23 days of European tour was all over but our travelling still continues. Next stop was Edinburgh and this time I am sure won’t be as hectic because we were staying with my cousin, Connie and her husband Rick, who lives near the city centre of Edinburgh.

This is a tribute to Rick, my cousin’s husband, who is an Australian living in Scotland. He was such a great and accommodating host during our stay, with his ever bubbly personality and happy disposition in life will forever be remembered. Sadly, he passed away in March of 2020.

Rick picked us up at the Edinburgh Airport and took us straight to their house.

It was a great start to our few days in Scotland, by having a visit to the royal yacht berthed just 15 minutes away from the Edinburgh city centre.

Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the 83rd such vessel since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. She is the second Royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the famous racing cutter built for The Prince of Wales in 1893. 

But first… coffee and lunch at the Royal Deck Tea Room of the Britannia.

Now, let us step aboard the famous ship of the Royal Family, called the Royal Yacht Britannia, and take a peek into their personal lives. This ship has been used by Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family for over 44 years … for royal functions, for state visits, for family holidays and also for several honeymoons.

There is a complimentary audio tour which will take you to everything that you will see on the five main decks of the Britannia.

From the deck you can see the Sun Lounge where the Royal Family relaxes on the variety of seats.

The Wheelhouse was where the captain and crew would run the ship

There are several bedrooms in the Britannia, her Majesty’s bedroom and Prince Phillip’s bedroom and it also has the Honeymoon Suite, play areas and entertainment rooms. 

Some pictures of the royal family framed and can be seen in some of the rooms that they stayed in.

The State Drawing Room was the main reception area of the Britannia. This was often used by the Royal family to entertain dignitaries on State tours.

The Officers’ Wardroom is ideal for more private dining functions. Rooms were used for formal lunches and dinners with famous guests. 

The State Dining Room is where Her Majesty and her esteemed guests dined. In present times, these dining rooms are transformed into function rooms.

The rooms of Officers and Crew.

This is the Clinic.

The Laundry of the Britannia had a 24 hour laundry service. They say that up to 600 shirts alone passed through the washers and dryers in one day.

All the clocks on the yacht remain stopped at 3:01, the exact time that the Queen last embarked.

One last chance for a photo opportunity before leaving the Britannia.