British government to announce €230m royal yacht named after Prince Philip – report

A new British royal yacht named after Prince Philip is to be manufactured by the UK government, according to The Telegraph.

The yacht would be a successor to Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, which was decommissioned back in 1997.

This new yacht would be named in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II’s late husband, Prince Philip, who died earlier this year in April at the age of 99.

Philip held the title of Lord High Admiral from 2011 until his death, and before that he had also served in the UK’s Royal Navy during World War II.

According to a recent report by The Telegraph, the yacht to be named after the late monarch will be announced by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “within weeks”.

Apparently, the cost of the building the ship could cost as much as £200m (around €230m). Several British members of parliament have also called for the vessel to be made in the UK.

Conservative MP Craig Mckinlay has campaigned for the new yacht. He told Sky News that: “A new national flagship proudly bearing the name of Prince Philip can be no better memorial to this much-loved and respected man.

“I am delighted that the years of effort to prove to ministers the value of such a vessel to our country's global brand is now on the brink of becoming reality.

“My latest joint letter signed by fellow MPs and peers may have helped get this project over the line. I am overjoyed.”

Moreover, No 10 Downing Street has not denied reports of the yacht.

“The prime minister has an exciting vision for shipbuilding in this country and is committed to making the UK a shipbuilding superpower,” a Downing Street spokesman told Sky News.

“We are always looking for new ways to promote global Britain around the world, driving investment back to the UK and delivering value for money for the British people.”

The spokesperson also did not rule out the possibility of the ship’s £200m price tag.

As previously mentioned, the yacht would be the successor to the HMY Britannia, which since being decommissioned in December 1997 has been berthed at Edinburgh and used as a tourist attraction.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth, an aircraft carrier, was sent on its first deployment last week.

Irish Independent