All ship-shape and Bristol fashion for Her Majesty

Some years ago a book of photographs was produced commemorating the retirement of the Royal Yacht Britannia.
IMMACULATE The Royal Yacht Britannias dining table at which many heads of state dined with the QueenIMMACULATE The Royal Yacht Britannias dining table at which many heads of state dined with the Queen
IMMACULATE The Royal Yacht Britannias dining table at which many heads of state dined with the Queen

As the Queen is celebrating 65 years on the throne I thought you might like to see a few photographs of her beloved Portsmouth-based ship which brought her to tears in the city when taken out of service.

The book Britannia – The Royal Yacht Revealed is available from Blackboard Publishing.

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On the facing page we see a table in the dining room which took three hours to lay for a state banquet.

SPOTLESS The engine room of the Royal Yacht Britannia  immaculate and a testament to her British marine engineeringSPOTLESS The engine room of the Royal Yacht Britannia  immaculate and a testament to her British marine engineering
SPOTLESS The engine room of the Royal Yacht Britannia  immaculate and a testament to her British marine engineering

Among those who dined with the Queen at this table are Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Sir Winston Churchill.

In 1971 the carpet was rolled up for a dance to celebrate Princess Anne’s 21st birthday.

Think of a ship’s engine room and most people would imagine a filthy, noisy location run by men covered in oil.

That was not quite the picture on the Royal Yacht.

WAY AHEAD The bridge of the Royal Yacht still with a 1950s appearanceWAY AHEAD The bridge of the Royal Yacht still with a 1950s appearance
WAY AHEAD The bridge of the Royal Yacht still with a 1950s appearance

Here we see the immaculate engine room on the yacht.

Everything is spotless with not a sign of grease anywhere.

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The final picture in the Britannia collection shows the royal yacht’s bridge retaining its look of the 1950s.

It looks the same as it did when the yacht was launched in 1953.

HELP PLEASE Members of a ships company, plus mascot. Can anyone tell me about the dress?HELP PLEASE Members of a ships company, plus mascot. Can anyone tell me about the dress?
HELP PLEASE Members of a ships company, plus mascot. Can anyone tell me about the dress?

Of course, everything is spick and span with gleaming burnished brass everywhere.

n I was recently given the records of an uncle who died some years ago.

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He spent the whole of his working life at sea in the Merchant Navy.

Below is a rather faded and grainy photo I found among his possessions.

I wonder if anyone has any idea about the dress the seamen are wearing, especially the peaked caps.

My uncle, the late Albert Sutton is second from the left in the middle row.