HM Yacht BRITANNIA in Antarctica with HRH Prince Philip, 1956-57

Her Majesty’s Yacht BRITANNIA (Vice Admiral Sir Conolly Abel Smith, KCVO CB, Flag Officer Royal Yachts) sailed for Royal Duty from Portsmouth on 28th August 1956.  With deteriorating relations between the British and Egyptian governments ruling out passage through the Mediterranean and Suez canal, the Yacht did the long haul, sailing via Freetown, Luanda, Cape Town and Mombasa where, on 22 September , the Standard of HRH The Princess Margaret was broken out.  The Royal Yacht then carried the Princess to Dar-es-Salaam via Aldabra Island, Assumption, the Farquar Islands and Zanzibar and here Princess Margaret disembarked to continue with her East African Tour whilst BRITANNIA sailed again for Mombasa to await the arrival of HRH Prince Philip on 16th October. 

Now wearing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Standard, HMY visited the Seychelles, Langkawi Island and Penang and after Prince Philip’s dinner party onboard at Port Swettenham for the rulers of the Malay Sates, the Royal Yacht made a floodlight departure for Australia.  Nine days later BRITANNIA arrived at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and then whilst Prince Philip undertook official engagements ashore, she visited Brisbane and Sydney before arriving in the Yarra River, Melbourne on 29th November in time for Prince Philip’s re-embarkation and his opening of the XVIth Olympic Games. The two guests he had invited for the Southern Ocean leg of the journey now joined the Yacht: Sir Raymond Priestley, Acting Director of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, was a distinguished explorer who had been on expeditions south with both Shackleton and Scott and Edward Seago, the artist, was already well known to the Royal Family. He had been a camouflage officer during the war and had enjoyed painting with such senior soldiers as Sir Claude Auchinleck and Sir Harold Alexander: “Alex” had made Seago his personal war artist during the Italian campaign.  Although the world was familiar with Dr Wilson’s beautiful watercolours of his time with Captain Scott’s DISCOVERY and TERRA NOVA expeditions, Ted Seago would probably be the first professional painter to visit the continent.  The Yacht arrived in Lyttleton, New Zealand, on 15th December and shortly afterwards she sailed for The Chatham Islands. 

As HMY approached the Roaring Forties Prince Philip personally led a beard growing competition, and crossing the International Date Line kept the Executive Officer, Commander John Adams, busy too: he had 2 birthdays and so the Wardroom ensured he threw 2 parties!  He also had to ensure that the Yacht was well and truly secured for the very heavy weather that was expected ahead.  Grand pianos, the royal barge, state banquet silver and china, the Royal Marine band’s instruments - all and much more had to be stowed and lashed down especially carefully.  On 21st December BRITANNIA refuelled at sea with the fleet tanker RFAWAVE CHIEF, a deck hockey match on the verandah deck 2 days later was abandoned in of a snow storm, and on Christmas Day, in a sea that had by now become rough, Prince Philip made a live speech on the BBC’s ‘Christmas Day broadcast from around the World’.  Then came a well attended church service in the Royal Dining Room followed by Messdeck Rounds led by Prince Philip and Steward Gibson, the youngest Yachtsman onboard.  Following naval tradition, Gibson was dressed as the admiral in full fig and between them HRH, “Vice Admiral” Gibson and the Rounds Party visited every messdeck where they were welcomed with a traditional tot of rum. Christmas dinner and party games for all followed as BRITANNIA rolled and pitched her way southwards.  Perfect seasonal timing produced the first iceberg on Boxing Day with more to come the next day; then it was another lengthy and rough fuelling at sea with WAVE CHIEF and on 29th December the Ice Patrol Ship HMS PROTECTOR (Captain Peter Mitchell RN) relieved WAVE CHIEF as Royal Escort.  The Royal Squadron crossed the Antarctic Circle on the last day of 1956, all onboard were given a red nose certificate designed by HRH and Ted Seago, and Prince Philip went across from BRITANNIA to the deck of a whale catcher by fishing basket! 

New Year’s Day saw the Royal party transferring at the edge of the pack ice to RRS JOHN BISCOE to allow Prince Philip to visit a Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey base.  Thick fog shrouded the ships as they felt their way up the SW coast of Graham Land but by the time the Royal Squadron had reached Anvers Island it was bright sunshine and all were able to see the high snow covered peaks and glaciers that surrounded them.  The northerly passage continued with a quick visit to Deception Island; then it was to the South Shetlands where the Yacht anchored in Admiralty Bay before weighing and making passage to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Here Prince Philip, his Secretary Lieutenant Commander Mike Parker, and Admiral Abel Smith rode in the annual Sailors Race, HRH winning by a good nose!  On 9th January the Royal Yacht made the 700 mile passage to Leith Harbour, South Georgia to allow Prince Philip to visit more whalers and Sir Ernest Shackleton’s grave. 

Back at sea again the last iceberg was sighted on Monday 14th January and then it was Gough Island on 16th January followed by Tristan de Cunha, St Helena, Ascension Island, Bathurst for a 3 day visit to Gambia and finally, on 6th February, HM Dockyard Gibraltar where Prince Philip brought the Yacht alongside himself where his two guests departed.  Whilst HRH visited ships of the Home Fleet and carried out other official duties ashore the Yachtsmen prepared the Royal Yacht for the embarkation of HM The Queen and the State visit to Portugal on conclusion of which the Royal Yacht made the final leg of the voyage arriving in Portsmouth on 24th February, 110 days and 40,000 miles since she had departed in August 1956.