King Charles is back on board the Royal Yacht Britannia before his coronation celebration in Scotland.
On Monday, the King stepped out in Edinburgh for the first Royal Week of his reign. King Charles, 74, is continuing Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of spending a special summer week in Scotland and made a meaningful visit to the royal yacht on his first day there.
The Royal Yacht Brittania, otherwise known as Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, was launched in April 1953, one month before Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. The 412-foot vessel was known as the royal family’s “floating residence” during its 44 years of service and sailed over 1 million nautical miles on 968 state visits as they entertained world leaders like Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan and Rajiv Gandhi. Several royal couples also honeymooned on the ship, including Charles and Princess Diana in 1981, and they later used it for official trips with Prince William and Prince Harry.
Though the Royal Yacht Britannia offered the royal family a unique privacy away from their public life and was described by Queen Elizabeth as “the one place I can truly relax,” per ship history, it would not sail forever. As seen in season 5 of The Crown (spoiler alert!), it was decommissioned in 1997 after it was determined the $22 million needed to keep the yacht going for another five years was too much for the government to spend. The Royal Yacht Britannia moved to Leith, Edinburgh, the following year, where it has operated as a tourist attraction since.
The King visited on Monday in honor of the docking’s 25th anniversary, his first formal visit to the ship since 1997. He was welcomed by Bob Downie, Chief Executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, and toured the engine room, laundry and Rolls Royce garage. King Charles spent time with former crew members and staff before attending a reception with the Trust’s trustees and senior management team in the State Dining Room and Drawing Room, which surely evoked memories of celebrations past.
Earlier on Monday, King Charles kicked off Royal Week with a visit to Kinneil House in Bo’ness, where he met representatives from organizations including The Prince’s Trust and planted a tree to mark the 100th anniversary of the estate becoming a public park.
He then moved to the Palace of the Holyroodhouse, the British sovereign’s official royal residence in Scotland, for the traditional Ceremony of the Keys.
According to The Scotsman, the annual ceremony marks the start of the monarch’s stay in Scotland. The sovereign is handed the keys of the city of Edinburgh and welcomed to “your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland,” and then returns them to local elected officials for safekeeping.
Though the first Royal Week of Charles’ reign is only beginning, Monday’s Ceremony of the Keys was not the first of his royal reign.
The King participated in the ritual in September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle on Sept. 8. King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne were coincidentally in Scotland at the time, and the Queen’s two eldest children arrived at her side before she died.
Earlier, Charles was formally welcomed to the city and Holyroodhouse at the official ceremony of the keys.
Royal Week in Edinburgh will continue on Tuesday when King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne host a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Then on Wednesday, the King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St. Giles’ Cathedral celebrating his coronation. Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton will also be in attendance at the ceremony, which will feature a Royal Procession and a flypast.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will also carry out engagements in Scotland on Thursday.
