Britannia Leaves The Waves Royal Yacht, Symbol Of Diminished Empire, Is Retired Amid Tears

Queen Elizabeth II struggled with her emotions and Prince Philip wiped away a tear as they bid farewell Thursday to the magnificent yacht on which they toured a diminishing empire.

Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, its brass fittings gleaming in the winter sunshine and flags rippling in a brisk breeze, was officially retired in a decommissioning ceremony at Portsmouth naval base on England’s south coast.

A large royal contingent had boarded Britannia earlier for lunch and a long last look at the rooms where they received foreign dignitaries around the world and spent honeymoons and holidays for nearly 44 years.

Now, after a million sea miles and countless receptions, the 412-foot yacht is showing its age and has become too expensive for even the monarchy to maintain.

The royal standard flew along with the Union Jack and more than 250 officers and seamen stood at attention on the teak decks when the bosun piped the queen off Britannia for the last time.

As the setting sun cast its golden light on the yacht, the strains of “Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves,” played by a pipe band, proved too much for even the long-practiced royal composure.

The queen, her eyes red, struggled with a trembling chin, while Princess Anne got out a white handkerchief to dab at her tears. Prince Philip, in naval uniform like many of the royals, wiped his eyes with his hand before he and his wife and children walked among the navy families to talk.

“It is with sadness that we must now say goodbye to Britannia,” the queen said in a message sent to the officers and crew. “My family and I extend our heartfelt thanks to all these men for their unfailing loyalty, dedication and commitment to the Royal Yacht Service.”

When it was launched in 1953, the royal yacht was a floating monument to a Britain that once ruled the waves, and a useful symbol of state in the far-flung empire.

It provided a secure and private accommodation for the royal family when they were on official visits abroad. It also was a personal favorite of a sea-loving family. Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew have all had navy careers. And Princess Anne, an honorary navy officer, is an avid sailor.

The young queen and her husband had chosen the fabrics and interior decoration themselves, and the rooms contain souvenirs from their travels around the Commonwealth.

The government announced that Britannia will either end its days in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a site for state functions and business meetings or on the Manchester Ship Canal near a shopping center in that northern city.