the new british royal yacht

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A New Royal Yacht Is Coming

• By Phil Draper
• January 7, 2022

There are yachts, and there are superyachts, but royal yachts tend to be something else again. The United Kingdom hasn’t had a royal yacht for almost 25 years, but the British government just announced its intention to replace Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia .

No firm details have been released of what this replacement could be, but design proposals were recently invited. Time is of the essence, given that the official policy statement came with a proposed launch date just three years away.

The open brief suggests that what is needed now is less yacht, more national ship—a world-first build. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he sees the vessel as more of a floating embassy to support royals and government ministers alike.

That concept is broadly familiar. During its 44-year service life as a ship of state, Britannia racked up more than 1 million nautical miles and 696 foreign visits. Every itinerary was about promoting the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and trade promotion was always a part of the job description. For instance, Britannia made several trips to the United States, including both coasts and Chicago via the St. Lawrence Seaway. Various presidents and their wives were guests aboard, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

But what defines a royal yacht?

It’s not just about scale, although the eight-deck, all-steel Britannia was one of the biggest yachts in the world when it launched. It was built at Scotland’s John Brown and Co. of Clydebank, the same yard that built the ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Queen Mary . Britannia entered service in January 1954, one year after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Her late husband, Prince Philip, was a former naval officer and enthusiastically oversaw Britannia’s specification and construction.

The yacht, beyond its routine duties, could rapidly convert to a 200-bed hospital ship or an offshore refuge for the royal family in case of nuclear war. Britannia is 412 feet length overall, has a 55-foot beam and measures 5,862 gross tons. Thanks to two turbine sets producing up to 12,000 hp, Britannia was capable of a continuous 21 knots throughout its service years.

Those were the days when a yacht of that size was unusual: There are now almost 30 giga-yachts afloat with more gross tonnage than Britannia . Only a quarter of them have any obvious royal affiliations.

But in its day, Britannia was an operation to behold. The yacht was home to 21 officers and 256 sailors of the British Royal Navy and could host functions with 250 guests. The staterooms and staff quarters were aft, and the crew were forward. The yacht’s complement included a Royal Marines guard detachment in separate onboard barracks, a 26-strong military band, and a full general surgery team with an operating theater. The permanent noncommissioned crew were known affectionately as the “yotties.”

Britannia was where the most senior members of the royal family stayed when on suitable official visits. It was not where they would normally spend vacations, although Prince Charles and Princess Diana famously used Britannia for a honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. They had the yacht’s only double bed installed aboard.

As for Britannia’s successor, various sources have quoted ballpark figures for the build in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. The final specification will depend on how much space is practical for conference and entertainment areas, the number of guest staterooms, the crew complement, helicopter use, tenders, provisions, technology, and security. Johnson also says he wants the vessel to incorporate cutting-edge green technologies and showcase best practices with regard to sustainability.

The new yacht is expected to have a service life of at least 30 years. Given that trillions of dollars’ worth of trade deals were reportedly secured aboard Britannia , the cost for that lifespan is not expected to be a concern.

Construction could start as early as next year, following consultations with the royal family, the Royal Navy and various government departments. The vessel will officially be the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and classified as if it were a warship.

Floating History

Now retired, royal yacht Britannia lies permanently in Edinburgh, Scotland. This vessel has been one of the Scottish capital’s most popular tourist draws for more than 25 years. It is open daily and sees more than 1,000 visitors a day. Guided tours take in all areas, including a view into the queen’s bedroom, private sitting rooms, state dining room and drawing rooms, sun lounge and veranda, bridge, crew decks, and engine room.

The First Royal Yacht

The wooden wheel aboard Britannia came from the only other royal yacht to bear the name, the much older 122-foot gaff-rigged cutter Britannia . Built for Prince Albert Edward, who later became King Edward VII, it was famously campaigned at big-boat

regattas by him and his son, King George V. The yacht launched in spring 1893 and was a near-sister to Valkyrie II , which unsuccessfully challenged the Nathanael Greene Herreshoff-built Vigilant for the America’s Cup that same year. Both Valkyrie II and Britannia

were designed by George Lennox Watson and built at the D&W Henderson Shipyard in Scotland. Following George V’s death and per his wishes, the vessel was stripped of its spars and fitting, and scuttled in deep water off England’s South Coast on July 10, 1936.

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What will the new royal yacht look like?

When the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997 as a cost-cutting measure by the British government, not everyone was ready to say farewell. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now confirmed that a new royal yacht will be operational by 2026, with design plans due to be released around the time of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee . According to Johnson, the royal yacht will sail around the world hosting trade negotiations as part of Britain's post-Brexit plans – but what will it look like? We pitched the idea to six teams of designers...

Project Albion

Team members : Steve Gresham, Fiona Diamond, Mike Fisher, Mike Brandy, Jarkko Jamsen and James Kandsch

The design : Project Albion is a 140 metre, three-masted sailing yacht with telescopic wing sails that allow the rig to concertina into itself when at anchor or cruising under power. High-profile guests stepping aboard can make use of its two helidecks: one retractable landing pad on the starboard side that doubles as an exhibition space, and another on the bow with a helicopter hangar beneath. Alternatively, there's a hydrogen-powered royal limousine tender named Lillibet (the Queen’s familial nickname)

Star features : At the heart of the yacht sits a grand, double-height ballroom for royal gatherings. Two-storey structural glass windows on either side offer sweeping sea views –  the perfect backdrop to any royal occasion.

“Project Albion is a modern, forward-thinking sailing yacht, incorporating green features and technology, whilst maintaining a sense of grandeur and tradition”  – Fiona Diamond

Stateship Britannia

Team members : Tim Gosling, Luiz de Basto, Bart de Haan, Jerry Lakeman, Luca Scarsella

The design : The Stateship Britannia is a striking 202 metre motor yacht designed to function as a floating embassy. Split into three spaces – public, shared and private – royal yacht is able to host large-scale, international events but also serves as a private residence for royals on board. There’s a helicopter hangar that converts into an emergency hospital, which in light of recent events won't go amiss, while the portholes are deliberately positioned to read ‘2020’ in morse code, marking the year as the beginning of a new era for the royal family.

Star features : A Union Jack-printed glass funnel houses wind turbines with vertical rotors that assist the yacht’s hydrogen propulsion system.

“We want a yacht that stands out and cannot be confused with any other multi-million pound boat. It’s something different”  – Luiz de Basto

Royal Red Diamond

Team members : Frank Neubelt, Theodoros Fotiadis, Guido de Groot, Enrique Tintore, Carl Sorenson

The design : A seven-deck modern-classic with a conservative design that reflects the tradition and values of the royal family. Measuring 140 metres, Royal Red Diamond features a Neptune lounge, two helipads, a duplex royal stateroom and a swimming pool that sits between the two funnels. The motor yacht will be powered by twin Rolls Royce 5,500hp diesel-electric engines.

Star feature : A grand atrium with an imperial staircase sits aft, enclosed by structural glass, and doubles as a gallery and exhibition space.

“It’s a seven-deck world cruiser with a modern-classic style to reflect the conservative ethos of the royal house”  – Frank Neubelt

Team members : Daniel Nerhagen, Guglielmo Carrozzo, Willem Jan Kuipers, Claudio Zimarino

The design : Royal Lion takes its inspiration from the famous Cutty Sark clipper, a merchant sailing ship that used to bring tea back to Britain from China in the 1800s – with a few upgrades of course. A 180 metre sailing yacht requires some serious sail power, which comes in the form of 24 solar sails housed in four DynaRig masts, allowing the royal yacht to reach 17 to 18 knots.

Star features : A platform that opens from the transom can be used as a touch-and-go helipad for royal visits and also doubles as a party platform for state functions and social occasions.

“Royal Lion can store solar energy through the sails into high capacity batteries, which can be used for the hotel load or for manoeuvrability when coming in to port”  – Claudio Zimarino

Britannia As A Rule

Team members : Michele Dragoni, Bart Bouwhuis, Wayne Parker, Aristotelis Betsis, Kriss Hogg

The design : This modern eco-yacht is designed to be carbon neutral for a new era of eco-savvy royals. Among its credentials are solar panels, turbine tubes and a nuclear power plant by Rolls Royce. In their downtime, the royal family can make use of the yacht's electric Jet Skis, electric helicopter and there's even an electric Land Rover Defender for trips ashore. Other highlights include a dedicated "palace deck" with a royal stateroom and a helicopter hangar on the foredeck.

Star features : For those boarding the yacht via the aft, sliding glass doors on the transom open to reveal one large indoor-outdoor exhibition space.

“It’s a floating showcase of all that’s great about Great Britain”  – Bart Bouwhuis

Project Winston

Team members : Andrew Winch, Gabriel Gabie, Jenny Skoog, Sally Storey, Alejandro Hahn

The design : With the Union Jack plastered across three DynaRig masts, there’s no confusion as to which family this royal yacht belongs to. Project Winston takes its design cues from three great British symbols: the hull is inspired by an Aston Martin, the upper deck by a crown, and the sails by the Union Jack. Elsewhere, sitting proudly on the bow is a figurehead of a British bulldog, while a bejewelled royal balcony is the perfect spot from which to wave-off the evening's guests.

Star features : The sails feature an integrated LED system that showcases the Union Jack on one side and act as a virtual billboard on the other to promote the best of Britain wherever it goes.

“Greta Thunberg has already agreed to come on board”  – Jenny Skoog

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Price tag for new flagship yacht could hit £250m

• Published 28 July 2021

A new national flagship yacht, designed to promote the UK around the globe, will cost up to £250m, the defence secretary has said.

A government document published last week put the budget at £150m, while reports said it could reach £200m.

But Ben Wallace has now given "a firm price" for the "floating embassy" of between £200m and £250m.

Labour's shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said the party would scrap the government's "pet project".

Boris Johnson announced the plan for the yacht in May, which will be used for hosting events like trade fairs and diplomatic meetings.

• New national ship to showcase best of British - PM
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The vessel, which is yet to have a name, will be the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was retired in 1997 after 44 years in service.

It will be funded from the Ministry of Defence's budget.

The prime minister said the ship would reflect "the UK's burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation" post-Brexit.

But Mr Thomas-Symonds said the latest costing showed the PM had "lost control of his vanity yacht", calling for the money to be invested "wisely" on projects such as tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

'Basic aims'

An "engagement day" to discuss the new flagship was held in Greenwich, London, on Wednesday, with Mr Wallace giving a speech.

He said there had been "a lot of reporting around this ship, not all of it accurate" so wanted to set out the government's "basic aims" for the vessel.

The defence secretary added: "Subject to working through bids, competition and technology, I aim to commission the ship for between £200m and £250m on a firm price.

"The competition will run until the end of October. I hope to announce the winners in December."

After that, Mr Wallace said he wanted construction to begin "in a British shipyard as early as next year and have a ship in the water by 2024 or 2025".

He added: "That's an ambitious timescale but this is an ambitious project, the chance to break the mould and break some records to get things done in the national interest."

Mr Wallace previously defended the cost of the ship to the MoD, telling the Commons Defence Committee it was less than 0.1% of the £13bn defence budget for shipbuilding over the next 10 years.

But Labour's shadow Treasury minister, Bridget Phillipson, called on the government to show "a real focus on value for money at every stage" of the project and ensure it supported jobs in UK shipyards.

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Will Britain Get a New Royal Yacht Named After Prince Philip?

Britannia served as a floating palace for 43 years. since his death last week, there have been calls for a new royal yacht named after the prince., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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After Prince Philip’s death last week, several British MPs and cabinet ministers are calling for a new royal yacht. The former Royal Yacht Britannia, which transported Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth on 968 state visits around the world for more than four decades, was retired in 1997. Sitting at a dock in Edinburgh, it’s one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, with more than 300,000 visitors each year.

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The call for a new royal yacht—which would be the 83rd royal vessel since the first was built for King Charles in 1660—started shortly after Royal Yacht Britannia was retired, with proponents arguing it would serve as more of a floating embassy than a luxury gigayacht. Since his death last week, the idea has gained momentum. According to The Telegraph , Prince Philip privately supported the idea, partly because of his long naval career, but also because of the 700,000 miles he had spent at sea on Britannia. The new royal yacht would be named HMY The Duke of Edinburgh in his honor.

MP Craig MacKinlay is heading a Westminster group backing the idea. “The towering figure that was the Duke of Edinburgh deserves a permanent tribute to his support for the country, the Commonwealth and the Queen,” MacKinlay said in a statement. “I can think of nothing better than a replacement for Royal Yacht Britannia bearing his name as the permanent memorial to his love of Commonwealth, Britain and the sea.”

The new Britannia? Designer Andrew Winch’s vision of the new royal yacht.  Courtesy Winch Studios

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office, according to Downing Street insiders, called the yacht a “nice idea,” but said it would have to wait until lawmakers decide how to proceed with a new UK shipbuilding initiative that Johnson announced last year.

UK yacht designer Andrew Winch made drawings of the proposed replacement for Royal Britannia in 1997, but any notion of a new royal yacht was shelved by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose government was involved in severe cost-cutting measures.

The 492-foot royal yacht, as envisioned by Winch, is 80 feet longer and more modern than the 412-foot, and much more ship-like Britannia, which had a crew of 271, including 21 officers and 250 Royal Yachtsmen. Winch’s office released the old drawings of the new Britannia five years ago. “Our interior configuration for Britannia allows for the greatest flexibility so that the space is suitable for many purposes,” Winch said in 2016. “The interior design is timeless and understated—a showcase for the best of British craftsmanship and design, both traditional and contemporary.”

After traveling 1 million miles aboard the yacht for over 40 years, Queen Elizabeth is emotional at its 1997 retirement. Britannia’s clocks were stopped at 3:01 pm as the Queen stepped off the boat for the last time.  Wikipedia

Whether the yacht ever moves past being a “nice idea” into an actual build remains to be seen. Johnson, foreign secretary when the new drawings were released in 2016, said it “wasn’t a priority.”

The minister quoted by The Telegraph said the new yacht would have multiple functions.

“Britannia was built to be a hospital ship as well as a royal yacht,” he said. “Building a vast pleasure cruiser is not something that anyone is going to support. But having a symbol of the nation that can travel the world, be used by the Royal Family and have another sensible purpose such as helping young people is a better scheme.”

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Royal yacht: Government sunk £2.5m on successor to Royal Yacht Britannia before project was scuppered

Boris Johnson in 2021 announced plans for a new royal yacht as a successor to Britannia, but the project was given the chop around a month ago.

Political reporter

Thursday 8 December 2022 16:00, UK

The government sunk almost £2.5m into commissioning a new royal yacht before scuppering the project, Sky News can reveal.

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request found the Ministry of Defence (MoD) splashed £2,476,000 on the vessel, a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Announced in May 2021 by Boris Johnson and set to be named after the Duke of Edinburgh, the plans were cut adrift last month .

It was paid for by the MoD .

John Healey, Labour's shadow defence secretary, said the money was "blown" on a "Tory vanity project".

A breakdown of the spending obtained by Sky News shows that £648,000 was spent on crown servant and military staff costs.

Some £348,000 was spent on workforce replacement costs.

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Around £40,000 was spent on operating and admin costs, and £809,000 was spent on private sector support.

The government racked up £476,000 in consultancy fees, and £110,000 in branding and digital media costs.

It is not unusual for unrealised projects to cost a lot of money - the garden bridge commissioned by Mr Johnson when he was London mayor cost the taxpayer tens of millions before it too was scrapped.

An MoD spokesperson said: "The initial phase of the National Flagship programme delivered significant value to the maritime industry that will be fundamental to the future success of the British shipbuilding pipeline.

"There are multiple costs involved in commencing a credible, rapid commercial competition, including internal and external staff costs, consultancy spend and private sector support.

"However, as threats continue to evolve it is right that we prioritise delivering capabilities which safeguard national infrastructure."

Mr Healey said: "The Conservatives have blown millions on a Tory vanity project at a time when threats are increasing, and they are cutting the size of our armed forces.

"The scale of waste in the defence department is unacceptable. Ministers are failing British troops and British taxpayers.

"A Labour government would get to grips with these deep-seated problems from day one.

"We would commission the NAO to conduct an across-the-board audit of MoD waste and make the MoD the first department subject to our new Office for Value for Money's new tough spending regime."

All of the vendors were approached for comment, but most either declined to comment or did not reply.

A spokesman for the Royal Institute of British Architects did get back to Sky News, saying: "The MoD contracted RIBA for the provision of specialist architectural services and support related to the design of the National Flagship project."

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The new Yacht Britannia

Boris Johnson wants a new ‘national flagship’ for Britain. Is it a good idea?

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What is being proposed?

In July, the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace formally announced plans for a new national flagship to “promote British businesses around the world”. Commissioned at a cost of £200m to £250m, it would be designed and built in the UK. Boris Johnson said it would reflect “the UK’s burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation”. The boat is to be a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia, which reached the end of its working life in 1997. The idea, first proposed in 2001, was taken up by Tory MPs in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, and has received vociferous backing from The Daily Telegraph . It was supported by Johnson after he became PM, and given the go-ahead in May. The Government said it would be used to host trade fairs, ministerial meetings and diplomatic summits. The vessel would be crewed by the Royal Navy, and is expected to be in service for about 30 years.

Why wasn’t the last one renewed?

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The Royal Yacht Britannia was in service from 1954 until 1997, a period during which it travelled more than a million nautical miles across the globe. But in 1994, the Government announced its retirement, citing the estimated £17m cost of completing a major re-fit (just seven years after the last one), which would only prolong its life by five years. In January 1997, the Conservatives promised to replace the yacht if re-elected that year, but Tony Blair’s victory spelt the end of the plan. His Labour government declined to spend public money on renewing it, citing the fact that the Queen had “made clear” that a yacht wasn’t needed for royal travel. Today, the ship is a tourist attraction in Leith, Edinburgh, with some 300,000 visitors a year.

What would a new one be like?

The details have yet to be fleshed out: the tendering process for design and construction began in July. However, the brief is to deliver “a vessel which reflects British design expertise and the latest innovations in green technology”. (Wallace said that it might have hybrid engines, or even a sail, like some modern superyachts.) The intention is to start building next year in a British shipyard, to create jobs and “help drive a renaissance in the UK’s shipbuilding industry”; at present, Britain has many top yacht designers and a thriving leisure boat industry, but most superyachts are built abroad. The yacht will have a “national security function”, too; Britannia was designed to double as a hospital ship. The ship’s name has yet to be announced: it was reported that the PM wanted to name it after the Duke of Edinburgh in tribute, but that the proposal was greeted with coolness in royal circles.

What’s the point of it?

Advocates of the ship say it will glide gracefully into ports around the world, where it will be used to wine and dine officials, thereby smoothing the way for trade deals, defence agreements and the like. They cite the example of Britannia, which they say helped bring in an estimated £3bn of trade deals between 1991 and 1995. “The world’s top investors will fall over themselves to visit a new flagship for a new type of commercial diplomacy,” said Johnson. A report last year by the think tank the Henry Jackson Society said the yacht could help “project Britain’s image around the world”; Lord Digby Jones, the former head of the CBI, said it would give the nation a “morale boost” after the pandemic.

Is everybody convinced?

No. Labour leader Keir Starmer labelled it a “vanity yacht” and called on the PM to spend the money tackling antisocial behaviour instead; the former Tory minister Ken Clarke called it “silly populist nonsense”. Many commentators are scathing. “I don’t think the world’s most successful exporting nations – Germany, Japan, China – ever needed a floating gin palace to get the world to buy their cars, steel or smartphones,” said Sean O’Grady in The Independent : quality, price, innovation and reliability, he argued, were more important. The ship doesn’t even enjoy the backing of senior members of the royal family, The Sunday Times reported. “No one wants this vessel at the Palace,” said a royal source. Courtiers, it seems, do not want it to be presented as a new “royal yacht”, which is regarded as “too grand” a symbol for the modern monarchy. They would not use it for their personal travel or holidays – though Wallace hopes it would be used for royal visits, to “showcase the royal family as one of our exports”.

How would it be paid for?

When the idea was originally proposed, the cost was estimated at £100m and was to be covered by private donors, with no burden on the taxpayer. However, the Government has now confirmed that the ship would be paid for out of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget – despite insisting that it would be primarily “a trade ship”. The original invitation to tender in July put the budget at £150m. However, a week after that, it was raised to £200m-£250m. Hugo Andreae, editor of Motor Boat & Yachting , thinks that, knowing the economics of superyachts, the price will rise to around £600m – unless the national flagship is to risk being “overshadowed by a tasteless megayacht belonging to some shady despot”.

Will it actually be built?

The project reportedly drew ire from the MoD, where officials asked No. 10 what they could scrap to pay for it. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is also said to be reluctant to pay for it. Johnson , however – a fan of statement projects – is said to “love the plan”. And Wallace is on board, too. He argues that the cost is a fraction of the MoD’s £42bn annual budget, and has dismissed criticism as “basket-weaving, leftie, Islington nonsense”. He insists construction will begin as soon as next year, and it will be “in the water by 2024 or 2025”.

Britannia: the original national flagship

The Royal Yacht Britannia was a symbol of British prestige, said the FT – a “glamorous nod to a lost age of naval superiority and to a different era of deference”. Built in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, it was used for a combination of “glittering state visits, official receptions, royal honeymoons and relaxing family holidays”, according to its official website.

The ship’s first official engagement was to carry Prince Charles and Princess Anne to Malta in 1954, where they met their parents at the end of a Commonwealth tour. It was the first of 968 state voyages that the ship carried out over its 44 years of service, during which every conceivable effort was made to ensure it was as comfortable and tranquil as possible for the royals: the crew wore soft-soled plimsolls and communicated using hand signals to reduce noise. An on-board garage housed the Queen’s Rolls-Royce and a 26-strong Royal Marines band was stationed on the ship at all times.

People visiting it in Leith today will see that every clock on board has been stopped at 3.01pm – the time the Queen last disembarked following the ship’s 1997 decommissioning ceremony in Portsmouth. The Queen is said to have been at her happiest on the ship, and at that event, she famously shed a tear.

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Boris Johnson wants to build a new, $278 million royal yacht named after Prince Philip, stoking an ongoing debate about cost and optics

• From 1953 to 1997, the Royal Family sailed around the world on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
• To the dismay of the Queen, Parliament decommissioned the yacht in 1997, citing upkeep costs.
• Boris Johnson's suggestion that a new yacht be built to honor Prince Philip has stoked the debate.

For 44 years, the Royal Yacht Britannia took the Royal Family on tours and vacations around the world.

Built in 1954, the five-story yacht became known as the Queen's "floating palace" and had a full-time staff of more than 240 yachtsmen and officers.

The Queen is known to have said that it is the one place where she could "truly relax."

Despite the Queen's fondness for the ship, the Labour government decided to decommission it in 1997, citing cost as its primary reason. At the time, the Britannia cost about £11 million to run each year, Reuters reported .

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

As it turns out, she may have secretly lobbied for a replacement two years earlier, The Times reported .

On May 5, 1995, the Queen's deputy private secretary wrote a letter to the Cabinet Office — now available in the National Archives — saying that she would "very much welcome" a new yacht, but that he did not wish to make her wishes public for fear of newspaper headlines along the lines of "Queen demands a new yacht." 

Years later, Prince Philip expressed remorse at the government's decision to take the Royal Yacht Britannia off the seas.

"She should have had her steam turbines taken out and diesel engines put in," he said in an interview to mark his 90th birthday, per the Scotsman . "She was as sound as a bell, and she could have gone on for another 50 years." 

Now, Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants Britain to build a new yacht named after Prince Philip to help to "sell Britain to the world," The Times reported .

The Ministry of Defence is drawing up plans, and the estimated cost to build the ship is £200 million, or $278 million, according to the Times.

But, according to Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates , Johnson does not appear to have run the plan by Buckingham Palace, and despite the Queen's past interest in building a new yacht, this time around she may not be too pleased.

"I'm told the PM hasn't asked the Queen if she'd like a new yacht — she is well aware of the optics — nor has he asked about using Prince Philip's name. Palace apparently very displeased with this suggestion in the papers," Coates tweeted yesterday.

Representatives for Buckingham Palace and the House of Commons did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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UK royal yacht successor could cost taxpayer £50m more than initially said

Defence secretary says Britannia replacement would cost up to £250m at event to launch project

The upfront cost of renewing Britain’s royal yacht could balloon to £250m – at least £50m more than previously indicated – the defence secretary said at an industry event to launch the national flagship project.

Ben Wallace told a specially convened conference at Greenwich that the replacement for the long-retired Britannia, a pet project of the prime minister, Boris Johnson , would be commissioned at “between £200m and £250m at a firm price”.

That represents a potential 25% increase from the £200m cost previously indicated when Downing Street first announced its plans in late May – and an even greater hike from a £150m target spelled out by the MoD in a tender document last week .

Labour said that Johnson had already “lost control of his vanity yacht”. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, said: “Labour would scrap the government’s latest pet project and invest taxpayers’ money wisely to tackle crime and the surge in antisocial behaviour.”

But Johnson and Wallace both argued the vessel would pay for its costs “many, many times over” at the event because it will act as a “floating embassy to promote the UK diplomatic and trading interests in coastal capitals around the world”.

Last week, a formal tender issued by the MoD said the bill would be £150m. Defence sources said that figure had represented “an aspiration” and the reason Wallace had said it could reach £250m was because the government wanted to ensure it had the flexibility to ensure an appropriate fit out.

The timetable, Wallace confirmed, would be to invite bids in October and award a contract in December. The ship would be built “in a British shipyard” Wallace said and would be “in the water” by 2024 or 2025.

An argument has raged in government about who would pay for the upfront costs of the ship. But the MoD has agreed to pay for the procurement costs for a vessel whose direct military use was unclear. Defence sources said that the design chosen may allow for dual civil and military use.

Britannia, which was popular with the Queen and the late Prince Philip, was decommissioned in 1997 after 44 years in service and has become a tourist attraction in Edinburgh. The name of the new yacht has not been confirmed but there has been speculation it will be named after the Duke of Edinburgh.

Last month, the Conservative peer and former chancellor, Ken Clarke, called itthe project “silly populist nonsense” and a rear admiral described the plans as resembling an “oligarch’s yacht”.

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Royal yacht: Why Britannia will definitely cost more than £200m to build

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Boris Johnson has confirmed that there is to be a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia using new green technology.

The surprise announcement came in a statement from 10 Downing Street at the end of May. Rather than purely serving the British Royal Family, however, this new vessel will be a national ship rather than a private yacht – a floating embassy that will be operated by the Royal Navy.

The idea is that the new royal yacht will support working royals and government departments alike, while furthering the nation’s interests abroad, both commercial and strategic.

“Every aspect of this ship, from its build to the businesses it showcases, will represent and promote the best of British,” said Johnson, “a clear and powerful symbol of our commitment to be an active player on the world stage. It will be the first vessel of its kind in the world.”

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Following appropriate consultations with the Royal Family, the Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Treasury, the Government will put the design and construction out to tender. If all goes to plan the build could start as early as next year with a view to entering service by 2024.

Some critics had suggested that World Trade Organisation obligations would mean the tendering process would have to be open to overseas yards as well as British ones, but the fact it will be operated by the Royal Navy gives it ‘warship’ status and therefore renders her exempt.

Various sources have quoted ballpark figures of £200 million to build the new Royal Yacht Britannia but once a working specification has been drawn up for a suitably large yacht MBY expects this to rise considerably.

Superyacht designer Andrew Winch’s proposal was for a much larger craft

Everything will depend on how much space is needed for conferencing and entertainment areas as well as the number of staterooms, guest cabins and crew, not to mention helicopter and tenders, and the high levels of security needed to protect her passengers and guests.

How much will the new royal yacht cost?

So exactly how big will the new yacht be? Length is not the key metric for superyachts ; usable volume measured in gross tonnage is the name of the game.

£200 million sounds a lot and could buy an impressive 280ft (86m) quad-deck superyacht with a volume of around 2,500GT from a superyacht yard, but a ship of that length is unlikely to be big enough.

The old Britannia measured 421ft and 5,769GT. The Royal Navy is unlikely to spend less than £100,000 per tonne today for such a vessel and will probably end up spending a significant amount more given that this would be a full-custom project. We suspect the final bill for New Britannia is likely to be more like £600 million.

The New Flagship Company also produced this rendering to try and win private backing for a Britannia replacement

This isn’t the first time a new royal yacht has been mooted. Businessman Ian Maiden launched the New Flagship Company in 2001 to try and garner private backing for a similar national ship to promote the UK and Commonwealth’s business interests. Superyacht designer Andrew Winch also drafted plans for a new royal megayacht.

As far as we know neither of these designs have been adopted by Number 10, which released its own uncredited rendering of what the new Royal Yacht Britannia might look like . One man that has had a bigger hand than most is Craig Mackinlay, Conservative MP for South Thanet, who recently led a cross-party campaign supported by no fewer than 70 MPs.

Mackinlay is a lifelong sailor and the commodore of the House of Commons Yacht Club, and his most recent submission seems to have influenced the government’s statement. Some have suggested that an alternative to a brand-new yacht could be a keel-up rebuild of the old Royal Yacht Britannia , which is now lying alongside in Leith, Edinburgh.

Winch’s design was first proposed in 2016

She was formally retired in 1997 after 44 years of service and over 1 million nautical miles. Until recently she has been open to the public. Any new Royal Yacht Britannia is expected to have a service life of at least 30 years.

The expert view

“The debate about how or even whether to replace the Royal Yacht Britannia has been gong on for as long as I’ve been editor and seems to crop up every few years when there’s no real news to talk about,” says MBY editor Hugo Andreae.

“But this time it’s different, this time it’s government policy – at least until Boris changes his mind, which has been known to happen!

“I sincerely hope he doesn’t because a new Royal Yacht Britannia really could invigorate British ship building and cast fresh light on the amazing leisure boat industry we do still have.

“But if we’re going to do it, please don’t skimp on the budget. We don’t want Britannia being overshadowed by a tasteless megayacht belonging to some shady despot!”

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Essex set to adopt Royal Navy warship for first time in 30 years

• Published 28 February

A Royal Navy warship is set to be adopted by the county of Essex.

Essex County Council has agreed to the county's affiliation with HMS Venturer, a Type 31 frigate currently under construction in Scotland.

Named after a World War Two submarine, it will be crewed by 115 sailors with capacity for another 70 personnel, such as Royal Marines, raiding teams or drone operators.

It is the first Royal Navy ship to be associated with Essex in 30 years.

Previous ships include the frigate HMS Ashanti, which was affiliated with Southend until she ended active duties in the 1980s and the minesweeper HMS Orwell, which enjoyed ties with Harwich, a key naval base through both world wars.

The new warship is named after a submarine that made history as the first to sink another while both were submerged.

Its successor will perform duties around the globe for at least a quarter of a century when she enters service later this decade.

HMS Venturer's name was chosen to represent technology and innovation, inspired by the county of Essex as well as the feats of its submarine predecessor.

Senior naval officer Chris Cozens said: "Essex's rich naval and maritime history, combined with its focus on technology and innovation makes it a fitting choice for our next-generation frigate."

Conservative county council chairman Jill Reeves said residents would be "reassured by and proud of those who serve" on the warship.

Council leader Kevin Bentley said: "I am proud to call HMS Venturer part of Essex as it adds a new chapter to our county's deep naval history.

"With the threats the UK is facing around the globe, it is more important than ever that we strengthen our ties with the Royal Navy and show our support for its brave service men and women."

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