HMY Victoria and Albert III a Royal Yacht of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The yacht was designed by the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy Sir William White. 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 had larger and more modern yachts than Great Britain. Victoria died seven months before the ship was completed. The total cost of the ship was £572,000 (£46,050,000 as of 2012),[1] (five-sevenths the cost of the battleship HMS Renown). This was the third yacht to be named 'Victoria and Albert' and was fitted with steam engines fired by Belleville water-tube boilers.
Built at Pembroke Dock and launched in 1899, the vessel measured 380 feet in length by 40 feet in the beam with a tonnage of 4,700. During fitting out the yacht had significant extra weight added including concrete ballast and even a large traditional capstan so the Queen could be entertained by watching the sailors work. This extra weight proved to be beyond the original design parameters and resulted in the ship tipping over when the dock was flooded - causing significant damage to the ship. Designer Sir William White was exonerated from direct responsibility, but lost confidence and resigned his role as Chief Constructor shortly afterwards.
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four sovereigns, and took part in two fleet reviews (in 1935 and the Coronation Review of the Fleet, 1937), but was withdrawn after the latter and decommissioned in 1939.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. During 1947, while moored alongside Whale Island, her caretaker was Mr J G (Tom)Cox BEM,RN. He was responsible for the care of her contents some of which were selected for eventual use in HMY Britannia. Even in retirement she was a sumptuous yacht.
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.
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