The newly issued official files have made a discretionary maneuver Buckingham Palace Officers to influence the government’s decision instead of royal Yacht Britannia.
As of 1993, the 39 -year -old Royal Ship was close to the end of its operational life, indicating John MajorOrthodox government to consider an important £ 50 million investment in a new boat.
It was widely believed that the queen Elizabeth II Strongly favored the commission of a new boat, but the royal family was eager to avoid any public presence of political intervention.
However, from documents National archives In Kev, it tells how senior courtiers contacted privately Downing Street,
Their purpose was to persuade the then Prime Minister to issue the statement of the Commons that throw light on Britannia’s “inseparable value” for the nation.
This thin veil effort to get support for a new vessel was rapidly rejected by the cabinet office, warning that any such comment would be “highly prejudiced”.
A senior official carefully commented that the Maharani’s “apathy” claims about the future of the boat “is rarely true”.
The issue of a new boat came to the government and for the palace at a very difficult time, with support on a low eb for Royals.
Last year there was an angry public backlash when ministers announced that the taxpayer would lift the bill – which eventually went to £ 36 million – for the restoration of Windsor Castle after a horrific fire.
After her “ENS Horibilis” – in which the separation of Charles and Diana was also seen – the queen agreed that she would pay taxes for the first time.
Due to announcing the historic move in a statement in Parliament with Mr. Major, Rani’s personal secretary Sir Robert Fellow saw the opportunity to secure the amount for a new boat to perform support for a new boat.
He asked the Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary Alex Elon whether Mr. Major would include the importance of Britannia, mentioning the importance of the queen and the importance of the royal train.
He suggested that the Prime Minister should tell the MPs that it was not just a cost question “but the style in which we want to represent the leading and royal family members in our public duties”.
“It is always difficult to keep a price on reputation, but I have no doubt that these items over the years are of unqualified value for this country.”
Sir went to Robin’s proposed joint for Mr. Major’s statement: “I would also like to clarify that we have no pressure from the queen to create a replacement for Britannia, and have never been done.
“Should the government decide that it is in the national interest to replace the boat which will definitely be another case.”
However, the official Nicholas Bevan of the work group established to consider the future of the boat warned that the proposed remarks could be “prejudice” for any future decision.
He said, “For example, to say that the royal boat is of inseparable value for this country, if the appointed ministers did not decide to change Britannia, there would not be a useful comment.”
“Although it is rarely right to suggest whether it is a matter of complete apathy towards the queen whether Britannia has been replaced or not.”
Despite opposition to the neutrality of the palace, the files suggest that the courtiers involved what the amount of Lobbing was nothing from a new boat.
On May 13, 1993, senior government officials led by Cabinet Secretary Sir Robin Butler were invited to a “magnificent lunch” on the board in Britannia, where he was re -received by former London’s Lord Mayor, Sir Hug Bidwell, and Earl of Limric, a senior banker at the value of the UK business.
The master of the queen’s house, Major General Sir Simon Cooper, later thanked Sir Robin, saying that Settings “had brought” issues home for those involved in a unique way “.
However, when the news of the meeting was leaked, the government press officials were directed to impress the journalists – the queen and the royal family “not fighting any kind of rearguard action on the boat”.
Despite the misconceptions on the costs, the major government finally announced in January 1997 that they would build a replacement boat if they were returned to power in the general election at the end of that year.
However, the move was widely interpreted as a desperate attempt to sideline support among Tory voters, and when the labor was brought to power in a landslide, he immediately reversed the decision.
When Britannia was finally decorated – Hong Kong’s last governor, after returning to Chris Patton, was seen to shed a tear – the queen, which rarely showed any emotion in public, after the handover.