royal yacht

Depending on how the term is defined royal yachts date back to the days of antiquity with royal barges on the Nile in ancient Egypt.

Later the Vikings produced royal vessels. They followed the pattern of longships although highly decorated and fitted with purple sails (purple sails remained standard for royal vessels the next 400 years).{{sfn|Madge|1997|p=21}}

In England, Henry V sold off the royal yachts to clear the Crown's debts. The next royal vessels in England were built in the Tudor period with Henry VIII using a vessel in 1520 that was depicted as having cloth of gold sails.{{sfn|Madge|1997|p=25}} James I had Disdain, a ship in miniature (she was later recorded as being able to carry about 30 tons), built for his son Prince Henry. Disdain was significant in that she allowed for pleasure cruising and as a result can be seen as an early move away from royal ships as warships.

The first ships to unquestionably qualify as royal yachts were those owned by Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} The first was gift from the Dutch but later yachts were commissioned and built in England. This established a tradition of royal yachts in Britain that was later copied by other royal families of Europe. Through the 19th century royal yachts got larger as they became a symbol of national wealth. World War I brought this trend to an end and the royal families that survived found it harder to justify the cost with the result that there are only three royal yachts left in use in Europe.{{when|date=September 2023}}{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} For the most part royal yachts have been superseded by the use of warships in this role, as royal yachts are often seen as a hard-to-justify expenditure. In addition most monarchies with a railway system employ a special set of ceremonial royal carriages. Most monarchies are also granted access to government owned aircraft for transportation.

• SS Gothic (1947)

• Phantasie
• Miramar

• La Clémentine (1897–1918){{Cite web|title=La Clémentine|url=https://www.marinebelge.be/la%20clementine.html|access-date=2022-01-07|website=www.marinebelge.be}}
• Alberta (1896–1914){{Cite web|title=Boten, het koninklijk yacht Alberta van koning Leopold II in de haven|url=https://www.beeldbankkusterfgoed.be/m/6f35d2c8a358430994bebda1e2d0653c407d6a4000024350805e67a7f0401db5|access-date=2022-01-07|website=www.beeldbankkusterfgoed.be|language=nl}}{{Cite web|title=ALBERTA|url=https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/alberta.474333/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=Ships Nostalgia|date=27 May 2020 |language=en-US}}
• Falcao Uno (1965){{Cite web|title=Falcao Uno|url=https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/falcao-uno|access-date=2022-01-07|website=www.superyachttimes.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Un clásico con alma 'Rolls Royce' {{!}} Baleares {{!}} Nauta 360|url=http://nauta360.expansion.com/2015/09/28/baleares/1443456606.html|access-date=2022-01-07|website=nauta360.expansion.com}}
• Alpa IV (2009–2022){{Cite web|title=Inside ALPA Yacht • Posillipo Technema • 2009 • Value $2 million • Owner King Albert of Belgium|url=https://www.superyachtfan.com/yacht/alpa/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=SuperYachtFan|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=For sale: Royal yacht, one former owner, offers circa €2 million|url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/news-contents/economic/181233/for-sale-royal-yacht-one-former-owner-offers-circa-e2-million|access-date=2022-01-07|website=www.brusselstimes.com|language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Keersmaekers |first1=Laura |title=Luxejacht van koning Albert en koningin Paola eindelijk verkocht |url=https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/transport/luxejacht-van-koning-albert-en-koningin-paola-eindelijk-verkocht/10405352.html |website=Tijd |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231226211422/https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/transport/luxejacht-van-koning-albert-en-koningin-paola-eindelijk-verkocht/10405352.html |archive-date=26 December 2023 |language=nl |date=3 August 2022 |url-status=live}}

File:HDMY Dannebrog (A540) 2017-08-16.jpg]]

The Danish royal family have had several royal yachts. Two of them have been named Dannebrog.

• HMDY Sophia Amalia (1650–1687)
• HMDY Elephanten (1687–1721)
• HDMS Kronprindsens Lystfregat (1785)
• HMDY Kiel (1824–1840)
• HDMY Ægir (1841–1855)
• HMDY Slesvig (1855–1879)
• HDMS Jylland (1874–1885) – a frigate which served as a royal yacht on occasion.
• HDMY Dannebrog (1879–1932)
• HDMY Dannebrog (1932–present)

• Mahroussa (also known as El Horria) (1866–1951) was built for Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt. She passed the Suez Canal during its opening. Lengthened twice, she was converted from paddle steamer to screw propellers. She now serves as a school ship for the Egyptian Navy.

During the existence of the German Empire, the Kaiser used these imperial yachts:

• SMY Hohenzollern (1878–1912); renamed SMY Kaiseradler in 1892
• SMY Hohenzollern II (1893–1914)
• SMY Hohenzollern III (begun in 1914 but never finished)

The Kriegsmarine fleet tender Grille was built as a state yacht for Adolf Hitler.

• Amphitrite{{Cite web|title=Princess Alice arriving in Greece on board royal yacht Amphitrite|url=https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/122/https___www_searchculture_gr_aggregator_edm_ELIA_000100_22_462029|access-date=2022-01-07|website=www.europeana.eu|language=en-GB}}

• Cleopatra's Barge (1820–1824) renamed Haʻaheo o Hawaiʻi ("Pride of Hawaii"){{Cite news |author= Paul Forsythe Johnston |title= A Million Pounds of Sandalwood: The History of Cleopatra's Barge in Hawaii |work= The American Neptune |volume= 63 |number= 1 |date= Winter 2002 |pages= 5–45 |url= http://americanhistory.si.edu/about/pubs/johnston1.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100311031607/http://americanhistory.si.edu/about/pubs/johnston1.pdf |archive-date= 2010-03-11 }}
• Kamehameha III (until 1849), seized by the French when they invaded Honolulu

• Naseruddin
• Mozaffari (1902–1914), turned into gunboat
• Chahsevar (1936–1979), turned into corvette
• Kish (1970–1979), turned into training ship

File:Trinacria yacht.jpg

• Savoia (1883–1904)
• Trinacria (1900–1925), former steamship America
• Savoia (1923–1944){{cite web|url=http://www.portbyport.com/content/5/2071/Dai%20panfili%20reali%20ai%20moderni%20megayacht%20di%20oggi.html|title=Dai panfili reali ai moderni megayacht di oggi|author=Cecilia Zizzola|work=portbyport.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132122/http://www.portbyport.com/content/5/2071/Dai%20panfili%20reali%20ai%20moderni%20megayacht%20di%20oggi.html|archive-date=2015-04-02}}

• Banryu (1857–1888) An iron screw schooner, she was given to the shōgun Tokugawa Iesada by Queen Victoria to commemorate the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce.{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Ian |title=HMS Emperor (1857) (1st) Iron Screw Yacht |url=http://britainsnavy.co.uk/Ships/HMS%20Emperor/HMS%20Emperor%20(1857)%201.htm |website=Britain's Navy |access-date=11 October 2021}}
• Jingei (1881–1903) A wooden-hulled paddle steamer designed by Léonce Verny.
• Hatsukaze (1902–1945) presented by Baron Hisaya Iwasaki to the Crown Prince (later Emperor Taisho) to commemorate his visit of the Mitsubishi Shipyard in Nagasaki.{{cite web |last1=Sasakawa |first1=Yohei |title=企画展「世界のロイヤルヨット今昔物語」報告書 |url=http://nippon.zaidan.info/seikabutsu/2004/00466/contents/0014.htm |website=The Nippon Foundation Library}}

King Hussein of Jordan was aboard his royal yacht (name not reported) in the Gulf of Aqaba when on 7 June 1981 it was overflown by eight low-flying Israeli F-16s en route to attack the Osirak reactor in Iraq during Operation Opera. One of the pilots described it as 'stunning white... incredible'.{{sfn|Claire|2004|pp=173{{ndash}}174}}

• Princess Alice (1891 by Prince Albert I) {{cvt|174|ft|m|order=flip}}{{Cite web|date=2019-06-18|title=Alice Heine — the First American Princess of Monaco|url=https://www.hellomonaco.com/sightseeing/grimaldi-family/alice-heine-the-first-american-princess-of-monaco-2/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=HelloMonaco|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Princesse Alice {{!}} Royal Yachts|url=http://yachts.monacoeye.com/files/princessealice.php|access-date=2022-01-07|website=yachts.monacoeye.com}}
• Deo Juvante II (1956–1958 by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace) {{cvt|147|ft|m|order=flip}}{{Cite web|last=Delahaye|first=Julie|date=2018-06-11|title=You can now holiday on Grace Kelly's former yacht and it's pretty amazing|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/cruises/grace-kellys-former-yacht-now-12683085|access-date=2022-01-07|website=mirror|language=en}}
• Carostefal (1964 by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace) {{cvt|59|ft|m|order=flip}}{{Cite web|title=Monaco's yachting history in pictures|url=https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/monaco-s-yachting-history-in-pictures|access-date=2022-02-12|website=www.superyachttimes.com|date=24 September 2018 |language=en}}
• Stalca (1971–1972 by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace) {{cvt|82|ft|m|order=flip}}{{Cite web|date=2018-08-13|title=Stalca & Deo Juvante II, 2 yachts for the Princess Grace of Monaco|url=https://www.hellomonaco.com/sightseeing/facts-about-monaco/did-you-know-stalca-and-deo-juvante-ii-two-yachts-for-the-princess-of-monaco/|access-date=2022-02-12|website=HelloMonaco|language=en-US}}
• Pacha III (1990–present by Princess Caroline){{Cite web|last=FlexKit|title=PACHA III|url=https://yachtclass.mc/en/pacha.html|access-date=2022-01-07|website=yachtclass.mc|language=fr}}

• El Boughaz I (2006–present)

• Koningssloep (1818–present)
• De Groene Draeck (1957–present)
• Jumbo VI (1997-2005), a Moonen 85{{cite web|url=https://www.devalk.nl/nl/nieuws/31/De-Valk-verkoopt-de-Moonen-85-Jumbo-VI.html |title=De Valk verkoopt de Moonen 85 'Jumbo VI' |publisher=De Valk |date=2009-03-13 |accessdate=2023-05-10}}
• Aldebaran (2014–2021), a Wajer 38{{cite web|url=https://www.quotenet.nl/quote-500/a124161/koning-willem-alexander-telt-7-ton-neer-voor-nieuwe-speedboot-124161/ |title=Koning Willem-Alexander telt €7 ton neer voor nieuwe speedboot |publisher=Quote Net |date=2014-08-04 |accessdate=2023-05-10}}{{cite web|url=https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/item/trendingvandaag-koning-koopt-speeltje-van-7-ton/ |title=TrendingVandaag: koning koopt speeltje van 7 ton |publisher=1Vandaag |date=2014-08-04 |accessdate=2023-05-10}}
• Alma (2021–present), a Wajer 55{{Cite web|title=Dutch King orders new 2-million euro yacht from Frisian boat builder {{!}} The Northern Times|url=https://northerntimes.nl/dutch-king-orders-new-2-million-euro-yacht-from-frisian-boat-builder/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=northerntimes.nl|date=8 June 2020 }}{{Cite web|date=2020-08-24|title=Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander apologize for vacation photo|url=https://www.hola.com/us/royals/20200824fqjkwephhn/queen-maxima-king-willem-alexander-statement-vacation-photo-break-coronavirus-rules/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=HOLA|language=en-US}}

File:KS Norge.jpg]]

King Haakon VII received the royal yacht Norge as a gift from the people of Norway in 1947. The royal yacht is owned by the king but maintained and crewed by the Royal Norwegian Navy. Before this other naval ships had served as royal sea transport and the king used some smaller boats for short trips mostly on official occasions.

• Sophia Amalia (1650–?)
• Elephanten (1687–1721)
• Heimdal (1892–1946)
• Stjernen I (1899–1940)
• Stjernen II (1945–present)
• Norge (1947–present)
• Horten (1985)

File:Königliche Yacht Al Said im Hafen von Maskat vor der AIDAdiva - اليخت الملكي آل سعيد في ميناء مسقط قبل AIDAdiva - panoramio.jpg

The Oman Royal Yacht Squadron operates the following major vessels from Muscat and Muttrah in Oman:

The Imperial Ottoman Government used many yachts for its head of state.{{cite web|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query|title=U.S. Library of Congress Query|work=loc.gov}} These include:

• Tesrifiye
• İzzeddin
• {{ship|Ottoman yacht|Sultaniye||2}}
• Talia
• Ertuğrul

The Republic of Turkey also has presidential yachts

• Veloz ({{cvt|22.6|m|ft|disp=or}}): 1858
• Sirius ({{cvt|22.5|m|ft|disp=or}}): 1876
• Amélia I ({{cvt|35|m|ft|disp=or}}): 1888
• Amélia II ({{cvt|45|m|ft|disp=or}}): 1897
• Amélia III ({{cvt|55|m|ft|disp=or}}): 1898
• Amélia IV ({{cvt|70|m|ft|disp=or}}): 1901

The Portuguese King Charles I used four successive royal yachts, all named Amélia, after his wife, Queen Amélie of Orleans. These yachts were, mainly, used by Charles I for his oceanographic missions. It was in the Amélia IV that King Manuel II and the Portuguese royal family left the country for the exile, after the republican revolution of 5 October 1910. In the republican regime the Amélia IV was renamed NRP 5 de Outubro and operated by the Portuguese Navy.

• Ștefan cel Mare {{Cite web|date=2016-08-12|title=Royal yacht Ștefan cel Mare, the most elegant ship on the Danube|url=https://rezistenta.ro/yachtul-regal-stefan-cel-mare-cea-mai-eleganta-nava-de-pe-dunare-cea-mai-rapida-nava-cu-zbaturi-din-lume/|access-date=2023-10-26|website=Rezistența|language=ro}}
• Luceafarul {{Cite web|date=2020-08-03|title=Two kings, two mistresses and a luxury yacht|url=https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/two-kings-two-mistresses-and-a-luxury-yacht-146618/|access-date=2022-01-07|website=Royal Central|language=en-GB}}

File:Standart in Sevastopol 1909.jpg in Sevastopol in 1909]]

Imperial yachts employed by the Tsar of Russia:

• Alexandria (I) (1851–1906)
• Standart (I) (1857–1892)
• Derzhava (1871–1905)
• Tsarevna (1874–1917)
• Livadia (1873–1878); wrecked in Crimea October 21–22, 1878
• Livadia (1880–1926); flawed experimental ship, retired and hulked soon after commissioning. Used by the Romanovs only twice.By Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia on her maiden voyage from Brest to Ferrol, Spain and by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia as a passenger on the Black Sea.
• Polyarnaya Zvezda (1890–1917/1961)
• Alexandria (II) (1904–1917/1927)
• Standart (II) (1895–1917/1936–1961 as Soviet Navy minelayer Marti){{Cite web|url=http://www.yachtstandart.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023010003/http://www.yachtstandart.com/|url-status=dead|title=Imperial Yacht Standart|archivedate=Oct 23, 2007|website=www.yachtstandart.com|accessdate=Aug 3, 2022}}

• Prince Abdulaziz (1984–) Now owned by descendants of Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz
• Al Riyadh (1978–)
• Al Salamah (1999–)
• Issham al Baher (1973–)

• Giralda (1900–1912) {{cvt|95|m|ft}} {{citation needed|date=April 2022}}
• The luxury yacht Fortuna belonged to King Juan Carlos I until he renounced it in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.azureazure.com/toys/royal-yatchs-Juan-Carlos|title=Royal Yachts: The End Of The Spectacular Vessels Of Juan Carlos I |date=26 June 2014|access-date=29 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/18/spanish-crew-king-juan-carlos-yacht|title=Spanish taxpayers pay price as king goes from have-yacht to have-not|first=Stephen|last=Burgen|date=18 November 2013|website=the Guardian|access-date=29 November 2018}}

• Vasaorden (1774–present)
• Drott (1883–1923)

Dubai is the personal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. Completed in 2006, she is the third largest yacht currently in serviceMatt Spector (6 August 2008) [https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Weather/story?id=5518446 "World's Elite Make a Splash With Megayachts"], ABC News at {{convert|524|ft|m}} long. She came to world media attention when she sailed out to welcome the retired ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth 2 to Dubai in November 2008.

Another personal yacht of the Sheikh is the {{convert|40|m|ft|adj=on}} Alloya, built by Sanlorenzo in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/the-sanlorenzo-40-alloy-in-dubai/|title=The Sanlorenzo 40 Alloy in Dubai|date=20 March 2014 |access-date=29 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/sanlorenzo-s-alloya-superyacht-in-dubai/|title=Sanlorenzo's Alloya superyacht in Dubai|date=5 April 2016 |access-date=29 November 2018}}

{{Main|List of royal yachts of the United Kingdom}}

File:HMY Victoria and Albert II 1855 William Frederick Mitchell.jpg (before 1881) {{ship|HMY|Victoria and Albert|1855|6}}]]

The United Kingdom has had 83 royal yachts since the restoration of Charles II of England in 1660.{{cite web |title=The Royal Residence |url=https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/history/royal-residence/ |website=The Royal Yacht Britannia Edinburgh |access-date=29 October 2022}} Charles II himself had 25 royal yachts,{{cite web |title=All at sea with Charles II |url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/history/news/2012/04/27_all_at_sea_with_charles.page |publisher=University of Southampton |access-date=29 October 2022 |date=27 April 2012}} while five were simultaneously in service in 1831.{{sfn|Madge|1997|p=183}} Since the decommissioning of {{ship|HMY|Britannia||2}} in 1997 the British monarchy no longer has a royal yacht.{{cite web |title=A Sombre Farewell |url=https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/history/royal-residence/decommission/ |website=The Royal Yacht Britannia Edinburgh |access-date=29 October 2022}}

The Principality of Monaco owned the princely yacht Deo Juvante II between 1956–1958. This Camper and Nicholsons yacht was a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis to Prince Rainer and Grace Kelly and was used on their honeymoon. The yacht, now called M/Y Grace, is now owned and operated by Quasar Expeditions.

Yugoslavia had some royal yachts before World War II (most notably, one was a sister ship of Ilinden which sank in Lake Ohrid in 2009).

Zanzibar had only one naval ship in 1896, the royal yacht {{ship|HHS|Glasgow}}. It was sunk by the British during the shortest war in history, the Anglo-Zanzibar War.

Other nations that employ some form of yacht presently or in the past include China and Sarawak.

• Air transports of heads of state and government
• Official state car
• Presidential yacht
• Royal train

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |last1=Claire |first1=Rodger |title=Raid on the Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign that Denied Saddam the Bomb| year=2004 |publisher=Broadway Books | isbn=978-0-7679-1400-0}}
• Article in Vi Menn magazine number 31 2006
• {{cite book |last1=Madge |first1=Tim |title=Royal Yachts of the World |date=1997 |publisher=Thomas Reed |location=East Molesey, Surrey, UK |isbn=978-09012-8-174-6 |page=|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/royalyachtsofwor0000madg/page/n5/mode/2up}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Frampton|first1=Viktor|title=Question 25/46: Imperial German Yachts |journal=Warship International|date=2012|volume=XLIX|issue=3 |pages=225–226|issn=0043-0374 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Alan |first1=Major |title=Royal Yachts |date=2011 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |location=Stroud, UK |isbn=978-1-4456-0189-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F2aoAwAAQBAJ |ref=none}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Yachts of heads of state}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Yacht}}