New documents reveal behind-the-scenes Palace plot to replace royal yacht Britannia
The newly released official files shared hidden maneuvers by the officials of Buckingham Palace to influence the government’s decision to change the Royal Yacht Britannia’s decision.
In 1993, the 39 -year -old royal ship was approaching the end of his operational life, and John Major’s conservative government asked him to consider an important investment of £ 50 million in a new yacht.
Queen II. Elizabeth was believed to strongly support the commissioning of a new yacht, but the royal family was eager to avoid any political intervention.
However, documents from the national archives in Kew show how senior courts are in particular approaching the Downing Street.
Their aim was to convince the prime minister to give Britannia’s “unqualified value” to the country to give a statement to the statement.
This subtle covered initiative to get support for a new ship was rapidly rejected by the cabinet office, and the authorities said that such comments would be “extremely prejudiced”.
A senior official said that the “indifference” claim of the palace’s “indifference” to the “indifference” of the queen was “almost at all”.
A new yacht issue came to Royals with support in a low EBB at a very difficult time for the government and the palace.
The previous year had an angry reaction when the ministers announced that the taxpayer announced that the taxpayer for the restoration of Windsor Castle after a destructive fire announced that he would finally reach £ 36 million.
After Charles and Diana, the Queen admitted that he would pay taxes for the first time.
Mr. Major, in a statement to Parliament, to announce the historical movement, Queen’s special secretary Sir Robert Fellowes, seeing the opportunity to guarantee what would happen to a new yacht for a new yacht.
The Prime Minister’s main secretary Alex asked Allan if Mr. Major would add a passage referring to the queen’s flight and the royal train, as well as Britannia.
He suggested that the Prime Minister should tell the deputies of the Prime Minister not only a matter of cost, but also that our president and the members of the royal family are the style we wish to represent us ”.
“It is always difficult to put a price of prestige, but I have no doubt that these products are unpredictable for years.”
“I would also like to clarify that Hmy Britannia of the Queen has no pressure to replace and that it is not at all.
“If the government decides for the national interest of the yacht that the hand will be another issue.”
However, Nicolas Bevan, the president of the working group to take into account the future of the yacht, warned that the proposed words may be “prejudiced” to future decisions.
“For example, to say that the royal yacht has an unpredictable value for this country, it will not be a useful explanation if the ministers decides not to replace Britannia in time,” he said.
“Likewise, it is difficult to argue that there is a matter of indifference for the queen that Britannia has been changed.”
Despite the impartial protests of the palace, the files show that the palaces participate in some non -thin lobbying for a new yacht.
On May 13, 1993, Cabinet Secretary Sir Robin Butler led by senior government officials, former Mayor of Lord in Britannia, Sir Hugh Bidwell and a senior banker Limerick on the value of the British business was invited to a “magnificent lunch”.
Later, Sir Robin, who thanked the great general Sir Simon Cooper, the Lord of the Queen’s house, said that the environment was “brought problems to the participants”.
However, when the news of the meeting leaked, government officials were instructed to influence journalists – the Queen and the royal family “did not fight any back -protection on the yacht”.
Despite the mistakes on costs, the Great Government announced in January 1997 that they would build a spare yacht if they returned to power in the general elections that year.
However, the Movement was interpreted as a desperate initiative to support the TORY voters, and when the Labor Party was sweeping into power in a landslide, they immediately reversed the decision.
When Britannia finally served – after returning the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten was delivered to China after it was delivered to China – rarely the queen of the queen, who rarely exhibited any public emotion, shed tears.
