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A new national yacht, which is reportedly set to cost £200m, will be paid for out of the Ministry of Defence’s budget, Downing Street has confirmed. The national flagship, the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, will sail the globe hosting trade talks. The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said Boris Johnson hopes it will be built in the UK, but that international rules on procurement will be followed.
The vessel will be part of and crewed by the Royal Navy, he said.
The Royal Yacht Britannia was launched by The Queen in 1953 and was retired in 1997 after completing 44 years of service.
The Queen was particularly attached to the ship.
Living such a busy life, Her Majesty herself admitted how nice it is for her to follow certain traditions.
This is why during her long trips abroad, the Queen looked forward to the reassuring prospect of going home each night; not to a palace, but to her own small ship with its familiar faces.
Her Majesty’s Royal Yacht Britannia was certainly not palatial.
Sir Hugh Casson, Britannia’s architect, once said: “The overall idea was to give the impression of a country house at sea.”
The ship was full of royal memories such as Prince Philip’s collection of driftwood, family memorabilia and an original set of G Plan furniture.
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The report, written by royal correspondent Robert Harman, also noted how Tony Blair later admitted that he deeply regretted scrapping the vessel.
Mr Harman wrote: “What the Royal Family may find particularly intriguing – and infuriating – 14 years later, is that Tony Blair now deeply regrets his part in it.
“As he tells me: ‘I think if it had happened five years into my time [as Prime Minister], I would have just said ‘no’.
“I’ll tell you this,’ he says, lowering his voice, ‘I didn’t want to get rid of it. After we’d agreed to get rid of it, I actually went on it and I remember, as I stepped on, thinking: ‘That was such a mistake to have done that.’
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