As 83rd in a long line of Royal Yachts that stretches back to 1660 and the
reign of Charles II, ‘BRITANNIA’ holds a proud place in British
maritime history.
Plans to build a new Royal Yacht to replace the ‘VICTORIA and ALBERT III’ began
during the reign of King George VI. But the King died in 1952, four
months before the keel of the Yacht was laid. His daughter, Princess Elizabeth
succeeded him to the throne and the new Queen together with her husband, Prince
Philip, took a guiding hand in the design of the Yacht, personally approving plans
prepared by Sir Hugh Casson, Consultant Architect and selecting furniture, fabrics and
paintings.
On April 16, 1953 Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’ rolled down the slipway at
John Brown’s Clydebank Shipyard, on the start of her long career. Commissioned for
service in January 1954, ‘BRITANNIA’ sailed the oceans for 43 years and
334 days.
During that time she steamed a total of 1,087,623 nautical miles, carrying
The Queen and other members of The Royal Family on 968 official visits and calling at over
600 ports in 135 countries.
In June 1994, the Government announced that Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’
would be taken out of service.
On 11 December 1997 ‘BRITANNIA’ was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base in
the presence of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and fourteen senior members of The
Royal Family. Some 2,200 past and present Royal Yacht Officers and Yachtsmen,
together with their families, came to witness the ceremony.
Her final destination was Leith, in Edinburgh. The yacht is now open to the general
public. THE ROYAL YACHT ‘BRITANNIA’ Worksheet A
As 83rd in a long line of Royal Yachts that stretches back to 1660 and the
reign on Charles II, ‘ BRITANNIA’ hold a proud place at British maritime history.
Plans to built a new Royal Yacht to replace the ‘VICTORIA and ALBERT III’ begin during
the reign by King George VI. But The King die in 1952, for months before the keel of the
Yacht was lay. His daughter, Princess Elizabeth succeeded him on the throne and the new
Queen together with her husband, Prince Philip, take a guiding hand in the design of the
Yacht, personally approving plans prepared by Sir Hugh Casson, Consultant Architect and
selecting furniture, fabrics and paintings.
In April 16, 1953 Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’ rolled down the slipway at John
Brown’s Clydebank Shipyard, on the start of her long career.
Commissioned for service at January 1954, ‘’BRITANNIA’ sailed the oceans for 43 year
and 334 day.
During that time she steam a total of 1,087,623 nautical miles, carring The Queen and
other members of The Royal Family on 968 official visits and calling at over 600 ports in
135 countries.
On June 1994, the Government announced that Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘BRTITANNIA’ would
be take out of service.
In 11 December 1997 ‘BRITANNIA’ was discommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base in the
presence of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and forteen senior members of The Royal
Family. Some 2,200 past and present Royal Yacht Officers and Yachtsman, together with
their familys, came to witness the ceremony.
Her final destination was Leith , in the Edinburgh. The yacht is now open to the general
public.
VOCABULARY WORK
Worksheet A1
Match the following words with the description.
| 1. destination (n.) 2. general public 3. replace (v.) 4. sail (v.) 5. senior (adj.) 6. succeed (v.) 7. yachtsman (n.) 8. witness (v.) |
a) to get rid of someone or something and put a new person or thing in their place; b) to travel somewhere by boat or ship; c) to achieve something that you planned to do or attempted to do; d) someone who sails or owns a yacht; e) with a high position within an organization, or a higher position than someone else; f) to be present when something important happens; g) ordinary people in society; h) the place where someone or something is going |
THE ROYAL YACHT ‘BRITANNIA’
Worksheet C
A.
The text on Worksheet A contains twenty-four mistakes. Can you find and correct them?
B.
Using Worksheet B, decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. The Royal Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’ holds proud place in British maritime history.
2. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did not take a guiding hand in the design of the
Yacht.
3. Commissioned for service in January 1954, ‘BRITANNIA’ sailed the oceans for 43
years and 334 days.
4. During that time The Yacht steamed a total of 3, 355,063 nautical miles, carrying The
Queen and other members of The Royal Family.
5. On 11 December 1997 ‘BRITANNIA’ was discommissioned and now she is an exhibition
ship in Edinburgh.
C. Quiz > ‘BRITANNIA’.
Test your knowledge of Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’
1. What was the name of the Royal Yacht which ‘BRITANNIA’ replaced?
Edward
and Alexandra III
George
and Mary III
Victoria
and Albert III
William
and Adelaide
2. Which Monarch commissioned the first Royal Yacht?
Queen
Anne
King
George I
King
William IV
King
Charles II
3. How long was ‘BRITANNIA’ in service?
22
years
33 years
44 years
55 years
4. Which American President and his wife spent their 31st Wedding Anniversary on board the Yacht?
The
Johnsons
The
Carters
The Fords
The
Reagans
5. How many Honeymoon cruises did ‘BRITANNIA’ undertake?
1
2
3
4
6. How many miles in total had BRITANNIA traveled by 1997?
912,345
1,087,623
2,619,796
3,355,063
7. How many State Visits has The Queen undertaken on the Royal Yacht?
58
63
79
85
8. Which member of the Royal family undertook a four month voyage on ‘BRITANNIA’, including a trip to the Antarctic?
The
Duke of Kent
The Duke
of Gloucester
The Duke
of Edinburgh
The Duke
of York
9. What was the souvenir found on a beach on Deception Island was displayed in the Royal Dining Room on board the Yacht?
A
seven-foot rib bone of a whale
A message
in a bottle
A giant
clam shell
A piece
of pink coral
10. Which tradition did many members of the Royal family participate in whilst on board the Royal Yacht?
Easter
egg hunt
May-pole
dancing
Walking
the plank
Stirring
the Christmas Pudding
SOME TIPS FOR TEACHERS
The Royal Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’.
Country-Study lesson takes a look at one of the most famous Royal Yachts of the twentieth
century ‘BRITANNIA’’.
Level
Pre-intermediate
How to use the lesson.
1. Brainstorm what the students know about The Royal Yacht ‘Britannia’.
2. Divide the class into pairs, then give them each a copy of Worksheet A. Tell the
students that the text on the worksheet contains twenty-four mistakes, and it is their
task to work together in order to find and correct them. Allow at least 15 minutes for
this kind of work.
Explain and match the words with the description on Worksheet A1.
3. Check answers in open class by referring to Worksheet B, which contains the corrected text with all the changes, then give every student a copy of Worksheet B and Worksheet C.
4. Give the pairs a couple of minutes to answer the five true/false questions on Worksheet C. Check answers in open class.
5. Students watch the Power-Point Programme ‘The Royal Yacht ‘BRITANNIA’ and they have to answer the quiz. (Worksheet C. or http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page1732.asp )
ANSWERS
Part A (24 mistakes/corrections): see Worksheet B.
Part A1: h; 2g; 3a; 4b; 5e; 6c; 7d; 8f.
Part B (true/false):
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. F
5. T
Part C (Quiz http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page1732.asp)
1. Victoria and Albert III
2. King Charles II
3. 44 years
4. The Reagans
5. 4
6. 1,087,623
7. 85
8. The Duke of Edinburgh
9. A seven-foot rib bone of a whale
10. Stirring the Christmas Pudding