Royal Family News: King Charles’ First Stop In Scotland Is To the Royal Yacht Brittania

British royal family news reveals that it’s good to be king. Very good. By way of example, King Charles is accorded two birthdays each year, and he now is in Scotland for his second coronation of 2023. Today he visited the Royal Yacht Brittania, aka Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, which debuted in 1953.

The regent is in Edinburgh for the first Royal Week of his reign and by so doing he is “continuing Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of spending a special summer week in Scotland.”

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During its 44 years of service the 412-foot vessel “sailed over 1 million nautical miles on 968 state visits. According to People, VIP guests included Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan and Rajiv Gandhi. Charles and his late first wife Princess Diana honeymooned on board the yacht in 1981.

Royal Family News: King Charles Is In Scotland

Queen Elizabeth was reported as saying the yacht was “the one place I can truly relax” before it was decommissioned in 1997. At the time it was estimated that $22 million was needed to keep the yacht afloat for the next five years, and the monarchy decided against the renovations. In 1998 the vessel was moved to Leith, Edinburgh, where it serves as a tourist attraction.

Royal Family News: King Charles Visited the Royal Yacht Brittania

Monday King Charles was on hand to commemorate the ship’s 25th docking anniversary. He toured the engine room, laundry and Rolls Royce garage. Yes you read that correctly.

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Prior to his trip to the ship, King Charles began Royal Week with a visit to Kinneil House in Bo’ness where he planted a tree to mark the 100th anniversary of the estate becoming a public park. From there he went to the Palace of the Holyroodhouse which is the regent’s official royal residence in Scotland.

While there he participated in the traditional Ceremony of the Keys, meant to commemorate “the start of the monarch’s stay in Scotland. The sovereign is handed the keys of the city of Edinburgh and welcomed to your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland and then returns them to local elected officials for safekeeping.”

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The King also participated in this ritual last September after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle. The outlet notes that Royal Week in Edinburgh will continue on Tuesday “when King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne host a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.”On Wednesday Prince William and Kate Middleton join the King and Queen Camilla for a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St. Giles’ Cathedral in recognition of his coronation.

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