UK: ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA MAKES FINAL JOURNEY INTO LONDON скачать в хорошем качестве

UK: ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA MAKES FINAL JOURNEY INTO LONDON

(13 Nov 1997) English/Nat Britain's Royal Yacht Britannia made its final trip up the River Thames into London on Thursday, watched by thousands lining the river. The journey marked the end of a nationwide farewell tour of Britain, in which an estimated (m) million people had their final glimpse of Britain's royal yacht. The 44-year-old ship will be decommissioned next month, following a decision by the British government not to spend the money to refurbish or replace the boat. As the century draws to a close, it is also the end of an era for Britain's Royal Yacht Britannia. For 44 years she has been a symbol of British royalty abroad, but on Thursday she made her last trip up the River Thames to say goodbye. The ship has sailed more than a (m) million miles, serving as an official private residence of the Royal Family when they were at sea. Her 19 officers and 217 crew members, including a Royal Marine band, have provided comfort and entertainment to the royal guests on board. A flotilla of small boats sounded their horns as Britannia made her way up the Thames from Kent, on England's southeast coast, to central London - passing under Tower Bridge. Thousands lined the River Thames to catch a final glance of the Royal Yacht. SOUNDBITE: "For my last glimpse of that wonderful yacht coming into the Pool. I've seen her many times coming in but today, of course, is sentimental." SUPER CAPTION: Bettie Conrad, Spectator The ship completed a seven-month tour last year taking her to the Mediterranean, the Arabian Gulf, the Indian ocean and the Far East. She then travelled to Hong Kong for the handover ceremony when she carried the last British governor Chris Patten back to Europe. It is a sad time for those who have served on the ship, such as Petty Officer Andy Tutchings, who is the yacht's physical trainer. SOUNDBITE: "I've served two and a half years as a P-T (Physical Training) instructor and it's been a most amazing career move really and experience has been quite rewarding - certainly a lovely insight into how the other half (the rich) live." SUPER CAPTION: Andy Tutchings, Petty Officer, HMY Britannia She may be 44 years old, but Britannia's engine room is carefully polished every day and remains as gleaming as the day it was made. Thursday's trip up the Thames was a repetition of its first such journey with the Royal Family in 1954. Then, Queen Elizabeth the Second and the Duke of Edinburgh sailed back from the Mediterranean with seven-year old Prince Charles and the Princess Anne, who was only four. SOUNDBITE: "We arrived in London in May of 1954 under this great bridge here with its great sign - banner - across it, saying, 'Welcome home' and that was the end of the Queen's Commonwealth tour and with the Prince Charles and Princess Anne on board, who were the first royal passengers, and they came into the Port of London with the Queen and the Duke at that time. This seems to me to be a fitting place for us to say goodbye." SUPER CAPTION: Anthony Morrow, Commodore, Britannia Britannia will be moored in the Pool of London for eight days, until she travels to the southern port of Portsmouth. But her future is still undecided. Seven private companies have put forward proposals to the British government to take over the boat. Ideas vary from returning the yacht to Glasgow, near the Scottish boatyard where she was built, or to London's historic maritime district, Greenwich, in time for the Millennium celebrations. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...