All Aboard! Return of the royal yacht?
Matthew Glencross |
1997 saw the retirement of Britannia, and with it the end of a royal institution, the Royal Yacht. The decision to discontinue the monarchy's official floating residence was made by the Queen, with the advice of the Duke of Edinburgh. Thus Britannia was the last of 83 royal yachts, the first of which had been commissioned in 1660 for Charles II who, like many of his successors, had several yachts.
This week it was revealed that Education Secretary Michael Gove had suggested that the Queen should be given a new yacht to mark her Jubilee, a project that would cost around £80 million. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the cuts to public services, members of parliament responded negatively to the idea. A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron indicated that although it would be inappropriate for a yacht to be funded by the public purse, the government would support a project initiated and paid for by private investors. The charity behind the idea, Future Ship Project 21st Century, hopes to gather funds from corporations and private investors, in order to build a yacht with several functions: as a royal residence, a facility for young people and a conference venue.
The government's interest in reviving the royal yacht, even if on a very different basis than in the past, raises the question of the function of such a vessel and its place in a modern monarchy.
The royal yacht was intangibly linked to Britain's diplomatic position in the world, in an age where the competing royal houses of Europe attempted to display their power by the size of their naval might - and the extravagance of their yachts. A monarch's yacht was usually an extension of the man himself. To Wilhelm II of Germany, size was vital to show power. Nicholas II revelled in luxury. Edward VII enjoyed extravagance, whilst his son George V, a sailor at heart, preferred speed over comfort. However, these yachts were not merely egotistical propaganda vehicles. They served a practical diplomatic function.
Upon his accession in 1901, Edward VII created a new function for the British monarch, the official state visit, which typically involved travelling to foreign capitals with entourages of varying size to meet with heads of state in order to promote diplomatic stability. The obvious means of transport for these events was the royal yacht, which could carry significant numbers of passengers, be easily defended by the Royal Navy and served as a readymade 'base camp'. It was not uncommon for royal meetings to happen aboard because the vessel had salons rivalling the equivalent in royal residences on dry land. History books of the period are illustrated with images of European royalty meeting at sea to discuss official state business. Such encounters also created grand images of a monarch arriving in splendour, before regally descending the gangplank.
The post-1918 world saw a decline in the use of royal yachts, as the majority of the European royal dynasties fell, greatly reducing the nations that a British monarch could visit. The new republics tended to see yachts as a symbol of their monarchical past - when they wanted to look forward to a new era.
In Britain, George V was warned by his advisors that amount of time he spent at sea allowed republicans to argue that the nation would not fall into ruin if the King was absent.
The Second World War breathed new life into the idea of the royal yacht as a symbol of the British monarchy, with George VI being cheered as he sailed into North Africa and Italy in support of his troops. But this was a brief respite - in reality the yacht's diplomatic usefulness was in terminal decline.
During Elizabeth II's reign this process hastened. The sight of the Queen stepping down from a plane has become a defining image of the modern royal tour, an impression that courtiers would like to project. With the ease and economics of modern air travel, the royal yacht was seen as an extravagance, not a necessity. So, after 44 years of service, 968 official voyages covering more than a million miles, Britannia was retired in 1997 and become a tourist attraction in Edinburgh.
However, the reintroduction of a royal yacht could have benefits, especially with the changing role of the British monarchy in the 21st century. The Royal Family's ability to attract the tourist dollar is increasingly recognised and marketed as part of Britain's appeal overseas. A new royal yacht could contribute to their public visibility.
For example, it could serve as an alternative venue to Buckingham Palace for the Queen to receive foreign dignitaries, especially if docked in Portsmouth or Bristol, thus giving people outside London greater opportunity to witness royal events. When not being used for diplomatic service, the yacht could serve as a touring royal residence around Britain and abroad, particularly for those nations without a monarchy but curious about royalty. The yacht's other purpose as a training base for young people will help to alleviate fears of it becoming a 'white elephant', or an unnecessary extravagance if it stood empty when not used by the Royal Family.
Providing sensitivity is maintained over the funding issue the yacht could easily become a functional gift, one that would help the Royal Family to sail into a brighter 21st century.
Please note: Views expressed are those of the author.- Tags:
- Glencross, Matthew
- Monarchy
About the author
