Queen Elizabeth II was forced to accept the decision to have the royal yacht Britannia decommissioned after 44 years due to the extensive cost the Government would have faced to refit it. In a rare show of emotion, Her Majesty was spotted shedding a tear for the first and only time in public as she attended the official decommissioning ceremony in Portsmouth in 1997. Writer Nina Myskow claimed the decision to get rid of the Britannia delivered a “big, personal blow” to the Queen because of the role the yacht played in her family life. 

Speaking to Jeremy Vine on 5, Ms Myskow said: “The thing about the royal yacht was that it was an emblem of Great Britain.

“It was used in all sorts of ways and PR things – they’d sail into the harbour somewhere and then the dignitaries would come aboard and they’d be hosted.

“It was all very good for business, for trade and for the image of the UK and, at the same time, it was a very special place for the Queen.”

Footage through the years showed members of the Royal Family enjoying time together on the Britannia away from the limelight, with memorable videos showing Prince Charles and his siblings turning one of the decks into a makeshift slide.

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Ms Myskow continued: “There’s wonderful footage of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh with the royals when they were young, really loving being on the Britannia because they were safe.

“They were away from public gaze, they could actually be themselves. It was particularly dear to the Queen’s heart, they would sail around the UK or sail to Scotland in the summer.

“When it was decommissioned it was a big personal blow for her and I remember footage of the time, of the Queen with a tear coming down her cheek.”

She added: “It was quite devastating because you’d never seen the Queen like that before, it was a very personal thing.”

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Honorary Vice-Admiral Sir Donald Gosling, a dear friend of the Royal Family, was revealed this week to have bequeathed £50 million to the Queen for her to build a new yacht for the family.

Sir Donald became acquainted with the family through his work with the Royal Navy the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew all served in.

Ms Myskow said: “He was a friend of the royals and this was a personal gift to the Queen.

“But by the time a royal yacht would be built, I don’t think the Queen would be around to enjoy it.”

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The royal yacht Britannia was originally commissioned by the Queen’s father, King George VI, days before his death in 1952 and went on to play a pivotal role in the royal PR machine.

Several world leaders, including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and  US President Ronald Reagan, would come to be hosted on the Britannia through its 44 years in service.

John Major announced in 1994 the yacht would not be refitted and his successor Tony Blair confirmed the Britannia would be officially decommissioned and become a tourist attraction.

The Britannia has been docked in Edinburgh since 1997 and has since been transformed into a museum. 

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