Royal Yachts

Using his personal ship, Mora, William, Duke of Normandy, invaded Britain with a fleet of similar ships. It was the first of a long line of ships with Royal associations. The word ‘yacht’ did not come into British usage until the seventeenth century, it being a Dutch word. King Charles II, while in exile in the Netherlands, spent much time sailing statenyachts and had one brought to England when he was crowned. This 100-ton vessel, with its gold decoration, was the first proper British royal yacht and started a long line of eighty-three different vessels that finished with the Royal Yacht Britannia, which is now moored at Leith as a floating museum.

Some yachts had interesting histories; the yacht Nahlin, used by Edward VIII to woo Wallis Simpson, has just finished a long restoration, while King George V’s Britannia, a J-class racing yacht, was scuttled when he died. Queen Victoria was said to have disliked the Victoria & Albert intensely, the ship being top heavy and prone to rolling, whereas, Britannia, built for the Queen at Clydebank, was one of the most loved of all royal yachts. Also featured are numerous royal yachts from around the world, including Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Turkey, Zanzibar and many more.