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British Royals

Buckingham Palace ‘displeased’ about suggestions of a new Royal Yacht in Prince Philip’s name

Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in 1966

Buckingham Palace is ‘displeased’ with suggestions made in newspapers that a new Royal Yacht may be commissioned and named after Prince Philip as part of his lasting legacy.

According to Same Coats, Deputy Political Editor at Sky News, officials at the Royal Household are not impressed with recent media reports.

A number of news organisations have said that the Ministry of Defence is drawing up plans to commission a new Royal Yacht which will bare Prince Philip’s name.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is known to be fond of a new Royal Yacht which would add to the United Kingdom’s soft diplomacy powers in securing Brexit trade deals.

However, Sky News reports that contrary to suggestions of the contrary, the Prime Minister has not approached The Queen with plans of a new yacht.

Sam Coats tweeted: “I’m told the Prime Minister 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.”

Mr Johnson has always been enthusiastic about the idea of a new Royal Yacht, which would cost around £120m to recommission.

Speaking a few years ago when he was Foreign Secretary, Mr Johnson said that the commissioning of a new Royal Yacht would “add greatly” to the soft power of the United Kingdom.

The former Mayor of London did say, however, that taxpayers should not fund a new royal yacht if one were to be commissioned.

He said: “The new Britannia should not be a call on the taxpayer. If it can be done privately I am sure it will attract overwhelming support.

“It is one of a number of measures that I am sure the government would be able to consider.”

Royal Yacht Britannia was Her Majesty’s personal ship and was in service from 1954 until 1997 when it was decommissioned by the government.

HMY Britannia was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the British throne in 1660.

During her career as Royal Yacht, Britannia conveyed the Queen, other members of the Royal Family and various dignitaries on 696 foreign visits and 272 visits in British waters. In this time, Britannia steamed 1,087,623 nautical miles (2,014,278 km).