Britannia was launched in 1953 with an overall length of 412 feet and gross tonnage of 5862 tons. In her lifetime she would sail over one million miles, visiting 600 ports in 135 countries. Having been a royal home for 40 years, she was decommissioned in 1997, the last of a long line of royal yachts that began during the reign of Charles II.

How do I know so much? The visit begins in an exhibition area in the shopping center before you board the yacht. Having arrived at the entry point, you are given an audio device that moves you through the exhibits. You start at the top of the ship on the bridge deck and descend through 5 levels of the ship. The tour doesn’t go everywhere, but it will show you what you want to see and probably more.

From the admiral’s cabin near the bridge you will pass by the royal bedrooms to the three galleys and on to the magnificent dining room which is still used for corporate events and then to the offices of the Queen and her consort.

The yacht was meant to have the feel of an English country house and that is most evident in drawing room and its anteroom. The area could contain a reception of as many as 250 people. Then it’s down to the various messes and wardrooms, through the laundry and the hospital and on to the royal barge and the engine room. It is, to a degree, a lesson on the subject of class – the upstairs and downstairs at sea.

The audio device and the extraordinarily professional way that the tour has been organized make for a great visit and look into the lives of the royal family.