HMY Victoria and Albert III

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HMY Victoria and Albert III a Royal Yacht of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. She was launched in 1899 but was not ready for service until 1901. Queen Victoria had lobbied Parliament for many years for a more modern yacht - the HMY Victoria and Albert dated from 1855, and won this expenditure after pointing out that both the Russian Tsar and the German Kaiser both had larger and more modern yachts than Great Britain. Unfortunately she died seven months before the launch. The total cost of the ship was £572,000 (five-sevenths the cost of the battleship HMS Renown).

Victoria and Albert III served three sovereigns, and took part in two fleet reviews (in 1935 and the Coronation Review of the Fleet, 1937), but was withdrawn after the latter and decommissioned in 1939. She served as a depot ship during World War II, as an accommodation ship to HMS Excellent, and was broken up in 1954.

Although there were plans for a new yacht to be built these were suspended due to the outbreak of World War II. Eventually Britannia replaced her in 1954.