New documents reveal behind-the-scenes Palace plot to replace royal yacht Britannia
How Buckingham Palace lobbied government for new royal yacht
- Newly released official files reveal Buckingham Palace's discreet attempts to influence the Conservative government's decision on replacing the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1993.
- Despite public claims of neutrality, senior courtiers privately urged Prime Minister John Major to issue a statement highlighting the yacht's "inestimable value" to secure support for a new £50 million vessel.
- Cabinet Office officials rejected this lobbying, warning such comments would be "highly prejudicial" and expressing scepticism about the Queen's asserted "indifference" to the yacht's future.
- The Palace's efforts included a "splendid lunch" on board Britannia for senior government officials, aimed at showcasing the yacht's value to UK business.
- Although the Major government eventually pledged a replacement if re-elected in 1997, the incoming Labour government reversed the decision, leading to Britannia's decommissioning and the Queen's visible emotion.