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Records Reveal How Palace Tried to Secure Show of Support for a New Royal Yacht
GREATER LONDON, ENGLAND, JUL 21 – Buckingham Palace courtiers privately urged Prime Minister John Major to emphasize the Royal Yacht Britannia's symbolic and diplomatic importance amid debates over a costly replacement.
- Newly released files show Buckingham Palace officials privately approached Downing Street, seeking to influence Prime Minister John Major to stress Britannia’s inestimable value in a Commons statement.
- By 1993, the Royal Yacht Britannia was nearing the end of its service life, and Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative government faced a decision on investing in a £50 million replacement.
- Sir Robert Fellowes privately asked Alex Allan to include a passage on Britannia's importance, while Sir Robin Butler stated `I would also like to make clear that there is not, and never has been, any pressure from the Queen to build a replacement for HMY Britannia.`
- Despite the palace’s proposal, Nicolas Bevan warned that the remarks could be `prejudicial`, and the Cabinet Office scotched the plan.
- Following Sunak’s decision, Britannia now serves as a visitor attraction in Edinburgh amid calls for a successor despite significant costs.
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WTX NewsBuckingham Palace courtiers lobbied John Major government for a new royal yacht, files reveal
Senior staff privately approached No 10 back in 1993 to see if then PM John Major would stress Britannia's "inestimable value", official files show.
·United Kingdom
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Royal Yacht Britannia: Buckingham Palace wanted John Major to stress 'inestimable value' - The Mirror
Files released by the National Archives show a government official dismissing the idea the Royal Yacht Britannia was a 'matter of complete indifference to the Queen'
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 20%
R 20%
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