The Royal Yacht, Britannia, will be "mothballed" until she is towed to her final port, with a skeleton naval crew keeping the yacht "ship-shape and Bristol fashion".

But the daily routine of polishing Britannia's brass, swabbing her teak decks and constantly cleaning the cabins will come to an end.

It was for this reason that the Princess Royal recently aired her personal view that the yacht should be scuttled rather than left to deteriorate.

Britannia's gleaming engines will never be fired up again

Britannia's future owners will have to convince the Government they can maintain her dignity and prevent her becoming a rust bucket.

In the meantime, the yacht will be towed by tugs from her mooring at South Railway Jetty in Portsmouth naval base - the setting for the royal paying-off ceremony - to the nearby No 3 Basin.

There, after December 19, a complement of half the yacht's company will work on board to prepare her for retirement - either on the Manchester Ship Canal or in Leith, Edinburgh.

Royal apartments to be sealed

Stores, not included in her sale, will be taken ashore along with naval equipment needed elsewhere by the Royal Navy.

The skeleton crew will remain on board until the end of February, shutting down the ship. Her engines - gleaming like a museum piece - will never again be fired up; the final shutdown was on November 22 when Britannia arrived in Portsmouth from the Pool of London.

Even the ship's laundry will be closed - the last wash is on December 17. The royal apartments will be dehumidified, sealed and kept at a constant temperature. This will ensure security and prevent deterioration.

Half of Britannia's company will prepare the yacht for retirement

Buckingham Palace said final decisions had yet to be taken over royal items on board.

A Palace spokeswoman said: "Following paying-off, all Royal Collection and other items will be removed for safekeeping.

"The Palace will consider the loan or replication of certain items, subject to adequate safeguards, to the successful bidder.

"Most of the other naval fixtures, fittings and equipment will be left on board except where items are required elsewhere in the Royal Navy or have reached the end of their useful life."

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©