Decommissioning Britannia a sad and wrong decision – Duke of Edinburgh

Charles Meilaq -

Interviewed to mark his 90th birthday, The Duke of Edinburgh said the decision to decommission the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was taken out of service after 43 years in 1997 was a sad and wrong decision.

Britannia was to pay several visits to Malta frequently with Prince Philip and other times independently.

John A. Mizzi, a senior journalist, recalled the first trip of Britannia with members of the Royal Family after she was commissioned on January 11, 1954 to Malta with Prince Charles, six, and Princess Anne, five, who stepped ashore for the first time on overseas soil on the morning of St George’s Day, April 23, 1954.

The yacht spent a week in the French Creek before sailing to Tobruk to embark Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time for the closing stages of the Royal Tour of the Commonwealth at Malta between May 3 and 5.

The Mediterranean Fleet met the Britannia at sea en route to Malta and the photographs of Prince Charles with a box camera on the bridge of Britannia taken by late Times of Malta photographer Charles Grech made the world’s press and did Mr Mizzi’s story describing the Queen concluding her 50,000-mile six-month journey and approaching “her isle of happy memories” sent for the British United Press from the Fleet flagship, the cruiser HMS Glasgow.

There was a particularly significant visit in April 1942 for the visit by Queen Elizabeth II on the 50th anniversary of the award of the George Cross.

Her Majesty entertained various people aboard the yacht and during an evening reception displayed the many albums with photographs of her years as a naval wife in Malta which the Times of Malta had presented her with between 1949 and 1951.

Meticulously sifting through The Times archives, I successfully dished out a 44-page pictorial record booklet entitled The Royal Visit Malta and Gozo – Five Glorious Days.

This souvenir pictorial recalls in detail Queen Elizabeth’s stay on the Maltese Islands between May 3 and 7, 1954.

The front pages prominently display photos of the surroundings of the Grand Houbour where one mass of people can be seen watching the royal yacht Britannia entering the Grand Harbour escorted by the warships of the Mediterranean fleet. The pictorial had been published by The Times of Malta during the mid 50s.

Back to the interview by broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh for ITV1, Prince Philip said: “She should have had her steam turbines taken out and diesel engines put in. She was as sound as a bell, and she could have gone on for another 50 years.”

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