Just one double bed: On board Queen Elizabeth’s royal yacht

In service from 1954 to 1997, the Royal Yacht Britannia sailed a million nautical miles while visiting more than 600 ports in 135 countries.

1. Step aboard the Royal Yacht

The Royal Yacht at its permanent home in Leith.

“I name this ship Britannia,” proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, christening the ship’s bow with a bottle of Empire wine in Clydebank, Scotland. The Royal Yacht Britannia is now permanently moored in Edinburgh’s historic port of Leith. This streamlined 125 metres of gold-rimmed, red, white and blue elegance is open for visitors. In service from 1954 to 1997, Britannia sailed a million nautical miles while visiting more than 600 ports in 135 countries. Aided by a hand-held audio guide, you can relive the history and splendour while exploring the five decks. It’s fully wheelchair accessible with lifts and ramps. Pre-purchase your boarding pass online (royalyachtbritannia.co.uk) or at Leith’s Ocean Terminal – £20 ($40) for adults.

2. Wander the Drawing Room and State Dining Room

The table set in the Royal Dining Room.

The Royal Family didn’t want anything too ostentatious, but rather a country-house-at-sea ambience. The chintz-patterned lounges, pastel tones and family photos in the Drawing Room cluster around the naval-regulation electric fireplace. The baby grand piano (bolted to the deck for wild swells) was a source of family entertainment with stories of Noel Coward at the keys. You can even see the cigarette butt-out marks left by Princess Margaret as she tickled the ivories. The State Dining Room reveals the opulent side of sea life where glittering banquets were held that welcomed world leaders and celebrities. The glamour of the 56-seat dining table set with crystal glassware, silver service and candelabra, is complemented by walls filled with gifts from around the world.

3. Be a voyeur in the royal bedrooms

The Honeymoon Suite.Credit: Alamy

Visions of sumptuous royal bedrooms are shattered when peering into these sacred spaces. The Queen and Prince Philip had separate rooms, sparsely furnished with single beds; the Queen’s with floral soft furnishings while Prince Philip’s were plain and russet-coloured. The Prince requested that his pillows did not have lace on their borders. The outside windows looking into the royal bedrooms are higher than elsewhere on the ship to prevent accidental royal glimpses. The Honeymoon Suite opposite had the only double bed on board. It hosted four royal honeymoons including that of Charles and Diana.

4. Marvel at the Queen’s Rolls Royce

Onboard transport.

Every yacht needs a glass garage. This one housed either the Queen’s Phantom V Rolls Royce or her 1950s Land Rover. Both were used for overseas tours and are on view (not the original ones). It was a challenge protecting them from the salt, as was winching them onboard in a harness. To squeeze the Rolls into the garage, the bumpers had to be removed.

5. Explore the workings of the ship

The engine room.

Below deck, the engine room gleams with brass, chrome and white enamel dials. Queen Elizabeth would often take guests there as an after-dinner excursion. With 80 engineers on board, the crew’s quarters were cramped with triple bunk beds. They had their own bar area with Foster’s one of the three beers on tap. With a crew of 220 yachtsmen, 21 officers and a Royal Marine Band of 26, the laundry worked 24 hours, often laundering 600 shirts a day, although the royal laundry was done on a separate day. Also see the bridge, Royal Galley and operating theatre.

6. Delight in the facts and anecdotes

The clocks stopped when the Queen disembarked for the last time.

You will notice the clocks onboard stopped at 3.01pm, the exact time Her Majesty was piped ashore for the final time on October 20, 1997, during which the Queen is seen to shed a tear. Wombat Tennis was a popular game where a soft toy wombat was thrown onto the ceiling fan, then batted around the room. The curved mahogany windbreak on the bridge ensured windy gusts would not reveal the royal underwear and at one royal stopover, the Queen was presented with a baby crocodile in a biscuit tin that had to be kept in her secretary’s bathtub.

7. Dine like royalty

After a couple of hours of Britannia sightseeing, it’s time to hit the glass-walled Royal Deck Tea Room overlooking the Firth of Forth. Originally used to play deck games, see the well-used cache of Operation, Monopoly, Cluedo and quoits. Settle in for soup and sandwiches or tea and scones baked in the Royal Galley or indulge in a dram of highland whisky or a Britannia gin and tonic, crafted from 16 botanicals originating from ports visited during the ship’s 44 years at sea. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t forget to souvenir your H.M.Y. Britannia insignia paper serviette as a keepsake.

The writer travelled at her own expense. See royalyachtbritannia.co.uk