The barge and two motor launches which tend the Royal Yacht Britannia left their places alongside the vessel moored in Leith today to take part in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London on Sunday. The Britannia Barge will take part in the celebrations, ferrying the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to the Spirit of Chartwell, which will lead an estimated flotilla of 1,000 boats on the Thames on Sunday.
The boats left by road at 10am, and were waved off by the winners of the competition run by the Edinburgh Evening News to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee, Olivia Hulford, Ella Rubenstein and Rachel Higginson. The weather was damp, but spirits were not as the original crew of the barge will be ferrying the royals for the first time in 15 years. This follows a major restoration of the barge, and sea trials at Western Harbour and in the River Forth.
The Royal Barge’s coxwain, Peter Bringham Young has said that the Royal Barge is in far better condition than was expected after 15 years of inactivity, but restoration was still a large undertaking for the charitable trust which maintains the Yacht.
Bob Downie, chief executive of the Royal Yacht Britannia joked that the crew required replacement uniforms as the originals have mysteriously shrunk after fifteen years of retirement.
Photos above by Vikki Nye
Why just the Royal Barge? , the once-in-300-years event on the Thames should have merited the whole reactivation of the RY Britannia herself to sail her down the North Sea. She could have had pride of place in the Pool of London.
My Dad Was The Driver Of The Barge. I am really proud of him
Comments are closed.