HMY Victoria and Albert (1899)

	HMY Victoria and Albert
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMY Victoria and Albert
Namesake	Albert, Prince Consort
Builder	Pembroke Dock
Cost	£572,000
Launched	9 May 1899
Sponsored by	Duchess of York
Commissioned	23 July 1901
Decommissioned	1939
Fate	Broken up, 1954
General characteristics
Type	Royal Yacht
Displacement	4,700 tons
Length	420 ft (128.0 m) LOA; 380 ft (115.8 m) LBP;
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draught	18 ft (5.5 m)
Decks	five
Propulsion	steam engines; 15 Belleville water-tube boilers;
Speed	17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h) sustained; 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h) maximum;
Complement	336

HMY Victoria and Albert was a royal yacht of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The yacht was designed by the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy Sir William White, launched in 1899 and ready for service in 1901. This was the third yacht to be named Victoria and Albert and she was fitted with steam engines fired by Belleville water-tube boilers. She served four sovereigns, and was decommissioned as royal yacht in 1939, served in the Second World War, and was broken up in 1954.

Background and Construction

German Kaiser

had larger and more modern yachts than Great Britain.

The yacht was launched at Pembroke Dockyard 9 May 1899 by the Duchess of York.^[1] She was completed in the summer 1901, seven months after the death of Queen Victoria. The total cost of the ship was £572,000, five-sevenths the cost of the battleship HMS Renown.

The vessel had an antiquated look when launched as the design was made to resemble the 1855 side wheel steamer Victoria and Albert. Unlike yachts of other monarchs of the time the vessel was purely a yacht, not a combination yacht and warship. The yacht's dimensions were 420 ft (128.0 m) length, 380 ft (115.8 m)

Belleville water-tube boilers provided steam powering two sets of vertical four cylinder triple expansion engines with combined 11,000 indicated horse power for eight hours and 7,500 indicated horse power on a continuous basis.^[1]^[2] The boilers were arranged in two watertight compartments one before the other with six boilers in the forward compartment and nine in the aft compartment. The engines were in two side by side watertight compartments. The engine cylinders with a stroke of 3 ft 3 in (1.0 m) were arranged so that two low pressure cylinders (53 in (134.6 cm)) bracketed the high pressure cylinder (26.5 in (67.3 cm)) placed forward of the intermediate pressure cylinder (44.5 in (113.0 cm)).^[2] Two 13 ft 3 in (4.0 m) propellers with 17 ft 6 in (5.3 m) pitch drove the yacht at 17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h) with maximum speed of 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h).^[1]^[2] Three dynamo sets provided electric light power. Refrigeration units were placed at the aft end of each engine room.^[2] Coal capacity was sufficient for a steaming range of 2,000 miles (type not stated) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h).^[3]

Three masts were rigged fore and aft with two funnels for the five decked vessel. On the after half of the bridge deck was a 180 ft (54.9 m) pavilion with an 85 ft (25.9 m) dining room. A smoking room and reception room were also in the pavilion. An electric hoist was available from the reception room to the royal apartments below, becoming the first ship in the world to be fitted with an elevator.[3]

During fitting-out the yacht had significant extra weight added including concrete ballast and even a large traditional capstan so the Queen could be entertained by watching the sailors work. This extra weight proved to be beyond the original design parameters and resulted in the ship tipping over when the dock was flooded – causing significant damage to the ship. Designer Sir William White was exonerated from direct responsibility, but lost confidence and resigned his role as Chief Constructor shortly afterwards.

Operational history

Victoria and Albert was commissioned at Portsmouth 23 July 1901 by Commodore the Hon. Hedworth Lambton, who hoisted his broad pennant. Nearly all the ship's company of 230 men of the old Victoria and Albert were transferred to the new yacht, which with an additional 100 men had a company of 336.^[4]

1935 Fleet Review

dry-dock at Portsmouth to have her hull coated and painted and an overhaul of her under-water fittings.^[8]

King Edward later used the yacht for summer cruises most years of his reign, visiting various countries in Europe.

Victoria and Albert later served

the Coronation Review of the Fleet, 1937), but was withdrawn after the latter and decommissioned in 1939. She served as a depot ship during the Second World War, as an accommodation ship to HMS Excellent, and was broken up in 1954. During 1947, while moored alongside at Whale Island, her caretaker was Mr J.G. "Tom" Cox BEM, RN. He was responsible for the care of her contents, some of which were selected for eventual use in HMY Britannia

.

Although there were plans for a new yacht to be built these were suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Eventually HMY Britannia replaced Victoria and Albert in 1954.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Published designs (note)". Marine Engineering. 3 (6). New York: Aldrich & Donaldson. June 1899. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Royal Yacht Machinery". Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers. 11 (3). American Society of Naval Engineers. August 1899. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b "The Queen's Yacht". Marine Review. 19 (21). Cleveland, Ohio: The Marine Review Publishing Co.: 14 25 May 1899. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36515. London. 24 July 1901. p. 11.
^ "The late Empress Frederick - Movements of the King and Queen". The Times. No. 36529. London. 9 August 1901. p. 6.
^ "The Coronation - Naval Review". The Times. No. 36845. London. 13 August 1902. p. 4.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36893. London. 8 October 1902. p. 4.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36976. London. 13 January 1903. p. 8.