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Her Majestys Royal Yacht Britannia by Gordon Bauwens.
The order to build a Royal Yacht as replacement for the obsolete Victoria and Albert was placed in February 1952 with John Brown & Co Ltd. The Clydebank yard won this contract largely because of its experience in building the prestigious Cunard Queens and Caronia. Launched in April 1953 by Her Majesty the Queen, Britannia was the most modern in a long line of Royal Yachts dating back to King Charles IIs Mary, 1660. Britannia was designed as a dual function vessel - as a Royal Yacht in peacetime an as hospital ship in times of hostility. Although built under post war austerity conditions, she provided a classical, well-balanced profile, with meticulous attention paid to detail. Features included innovative funnel design, bulbous bow, stabilisers, superstructure tested in a wind tunnel, and the steel hull rivetted than machined flush above the waterline to give an immaculate finish. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh took personal interest in the interior design, choosing for the Royal apartments simple decor incorporating white painted walls, mahogany and brass. Exquisite furnishings and objet dart provided embellishment, with many items retained from previous Royal vessels. Throughout Britannias 43 year active life, her appearance remained flawless, inside and out, despite having steamed well over 1 million miles. In service Britannia became a fitting symbol of Britains proud maritime heritage, and in retirement, will continue as a showcase for British shipbuilding at its best. The painting shows Britannia with the Forth Rail Bridge in the background. |
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