King Charles: £250 million was almost spent on his superyacht, here's why the plan was scrapped

Published on January 25, 2023 at 2:31 PM by Mary Sworn

HMY Britannia was the superyacht built for Queen Elizabeth II. King Charles III would have one too, but plans were changed. The design has now been revealed.

King Charles: £250 million was almost spent on his superyacht, here's why the plan was scrapped

Her Majesty’s Yacht (HMY) Britannia was in service for 44 years and served as a mode of transportation for the Royal Family. No longer in use, it is now a popular attraction for many in Edinburgh. There were plans to build a superyacht for King Charles, but major planswere changed.

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HMY Britannia

HMY Britannia first set sail on April 16, 1953, and was often used by the Royal Family for state visits and as a means of transportation. A young Prince Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, were the guests on the ship's maiden voyage to Malta, where they were to join their parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

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A post shared by The Royal Yacht Britannia (@royalyachtbritannia)

The Royal superyacht was often used for family vacations as well as honeymoons. Indeed Princess Margaret and her husband Anthony Armstrong-Jones were the first to have their honeymoon on the ship back in 1960. Prince Charles and Diana also had their honeymoon on the ship in 1981.

HMY Britannia’s final voyage was on October 20, 1997, when the ship sailed around the UK for the last time. You can still visit the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, where it is now a popular tourist attraction.

King Charles’ superyacht was going to be the next Britannia but things were not meant to be.

King Charles’ superyacht scrapped

Boris Johnson had proposed the idea of building a new superyacht for King Charles back when he was still Prime Minister. The ship was supposed to set on its maiden voyage in October 2025, but Chancellor Jeremy Hunt decided to scrap the plan in a series of ‘spending cuts.’

Vitruvius Yachts, a London-based firm who was chosen to design the superyacht, confirmed the cancellation of the project on their Instagram post:

We were announced as finalists after submitting a concise proposal, unfortunately the project was cancelled by the UK Government.

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A post shared by Vitruvius Yachts (@vitruviusyachtsltd)

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The superyacht was to be called Britannia just like its predecessor. It would have been 125 metres long and was described as a ‘celebration of British society and technology in a vessel designed for the people but fit for a king.’

Releasing the £250 million designs

The designs for the ship were originally confidential, but the project has since been scrapped, and Vitruvius Yachts has released the designs planned.

The company wanted to focus on sustainable power for the ship and managed to design a hull that would have limited fuel consumption.

Moreover, the interior design would have used recycled materials and wanted the ship to be as accessible as possible by making it ‘suitable for everyone from VVIPs to schoolchildren and the disabled.’

Vitrivius Yachts added:

In developing the design, the essence of Britishness takes centre stage through a Union flag ribbon motif in the side and plan view elevations, while reflecting the multicultural society that defines the UK today.

Sources used:

The Independent: ‘£250m design for King Charles’ scrapped superyacht unveiled’

The Royal Yacht Britannia: ‘Historical timeline’

The Royal Yach Britannia: ‘A sombre farewell’