Exclusive: Britannia to rule the waves once more, with new royal yacht named after Prince Philip

Boris Johnson will announce within weeks a new national flagship named after the Duke of Edinburgh that will be seen as a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

The new ship is expected to be named HMS Prince Philip and will boost British trade and drive investment into the UK economy.

HMY Britannia was controversially decommissioned by Labour prime minister Tony Blair in 1997. That decision “signalled the end of an unbroken succession of royal yachts dating back to the reign of King Charles II”, the Duke wrote in Britannia’s official history in 2003.

The new ship would be crewed by the Royal Navy, senior sources said. It will be the first official government commemoration to Prince Philip.

The announcement – dubbed Project Leith, after the Edinburgh district where the original yacht is moored – had been held up by a wrangle over whether the new ship was to be paid for by the Ministry of Defence or the Cabinet Office.

It will be seen as an appropriate tribute to the Duke, who was Lord High Admiral between 2011 and his death in April. He also played a key role in commissioning and design of the original yacht.

Senior government sources said the new flagship, costing as much as £200 million, could promote British businesses overseas by mooring near international trade fairs, hosting high level trade negotiations and sailing all over the world promoting UK interests.

It would also play an important role promoting foreign policy and security objectives, including by hosting summits and other diplomatic talks.

The ship could also be used to host members of the Royal family on overseas visits. The flagship could be fitted with the latest green technology.

The Telegraph has been campaigning for a replacement for HMY Britannia since Britons voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

Commodore Tony Morrow, the last captain of Britannia, welcomed the news on Saturday night and said he would be delighted to work with officials to develop the plans.

Jake Berry, chairman of the Northern Research Group of Conservatiave MPs, last night called for the new ship to be built by Cammell Laird on Merseyside, where the polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough was constructed.

Mr Berry said: “This successor to Britannia enables Britain to take her proper place in the world once again. When I and The Telegraph newspaper launched our campaign back in 2016, we were told that this day would never come.

“I am delighted that Boris has been brave enough to discount the doubters and bean counters who did not have the vision to see what this new ship can add to global Britain. Commemorating the Duke of Edinburgh in this way is respectful and deeply appropriate.”

Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, who has led a campaign for a successor to Britannia in the Commons, added: “A new national flagship proudly bearing the name of Prince Philip can be no better memorial to this much-loved and respected man. I am delighted that the years of effort to prove to ministers the value of such a vessel to our country’s global brand is now on the brink of becoming reality. My latest joint letter signed by fellow MPs and peers may have helped get this project over the line. I am overjoyed.”

Plans to build yacht in Britain

The hope is that as a MoD asset, ministers can direct that the vessel is built in UK shipyards in order to create jobs, reinvigorate the UK’s shipbuilding industry and showcase the best of British design, engineering and ingenuity around the world.

One senior source said the plan was “ready to go”. Another said: “There was a bit of a fight between the MoD and the Cabinet Office about who pays for it.

“The lawyers are all over it because in order to stipulate that it is made in Britain it has to have a military use, otherwise it will go out to procurement and could be made in Italy.”

The original royal yacht was retired in December 1997 and is now berthed at Edinburgh, where she is one of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions.

A secret naval design for a £100 million replacement for Britannia – worth £190 million in today’s money – was drawn up by naval staff at the time and approved by representatives of the Royal family but the Labour government refused to pay for it.

The Duke – who travelled 70,000 miles on the ship – said in 2003: “The combination of her ocean-going capacity and efficient management reflected our long maritime traditions and made an invaluable contribution to the prestige of this country.

“She managed to project the very best British characteristics to people all over the world which also produced significant tangible and intangible contributions to the British economy.”