HMY Victoria and Albert III

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 - 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). This is the third yacht to be named 'Victoria and Albert' and was fitted with steam engines. Built at Pembroke Dock and launched in 1899, it measured 380 feet in length by 40 feet in the beam with a tonnage of 4700. The yacht was used regularly up until the World War II when it was laid up and used as an accommodation ship in Portsmouth harbour. The Victoria and Albert III was finally sold in 1954 for breaking at Faslane, Scotland.

Victoria and Albert III served four sovereigns, and took part in two fleet reviews (in 1935 and the Coronation Review of the Fleet, 1937), but was withdrawn after the latter and decommissioned in 1939.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.