Touring (and Chartering) the UK's Royal Yachts

Up until about 30 years ago, the United Kingdom's royal family kept their own yachts in a tradition stretching back to 1660. Since then, though, they haven't given up the pastime — they've just turned to chartering, and one of their favorites is still on the market.

HMY Britannia

Though the monarchs of England (and associated territories, islands, colonies, and so on) commissioned or were temporarily designated over 80 yachts between the 17^th and 20^th centuries, all of them, incredibly, were either irreparably destroyed in wrecks or sold for scrap (and even the wrecks generally can't be visited). The oldest remaining belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and while the design is understandably dated — the royal yacht Britannia was launched in 1953 — the ship's massive scale and air of luxury put her firmly in megayacht territory. Even given modern appetites for more and bigger, the ship's 126m/412ft length is rare, matched by only the most ambitious (not to mention expensive) builds.

The yacht is now permanently docked in Leith, the port district of Edinburgh, Scotland, and operated as a fully-restored museum.

The Charters

MV Hebridean Princess

Following the Britannia's decommissioning, Queen Elizabeth's preferred charter was the MV Hebridean Princess, launched only eleven years later than her personal yacht. Built by the now-defunct Scottish shipyard of Hall, Russell & Company, the ship underwent a full refit in 1989, though it wasn't until the late 2000s when Queen Elizabeth began set her eye on the ship for private charters.

The ship's itineraries are limited — but if you're looking to tour the Scottish coast, you can still charter the entire yacht. With 28 cabins, plan on bringing friends.

MY Meserret III

The newest build on the list was delivered in 1992 by German shipyard Peene-Werft, which later became a subsidiary of famed superyacht builder Lürssen. While she was under the ownership of British Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gosling, then-Prince Charles chartered the ship for a few tours of the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Though she's about half the size of the Hebridean Princess, you can't fault the attention to detail:

MY Meserret III was sold to a private owner in 2016, and has since been off the charter market.