A fundraising campaign is appealing for everyone in the Commonwealth to help buy the Queen a superyacht for her Diamond Jubilee.
Unlike other campaigns, the Jubilee Yacht Appeal doesn’t want to build a new boat for the Queen. They hope to raise £60 million to “purchase one of the top 100 yachts in the world, with the right pedigree and preferably a self-made and charitable former owner”.
Click here to see a gallery of the top 50 superyachts for sale – one of these could become the new Royal Yacht.
The Jubilee Yacht Appeal wants the superyacht to be used by both the Queen and charities of which she is a patron.
The Queen, photographed at the unveiling of her royal barge last month.
The campaign asks people to donate to two funds. The first, labelled ‘Yacht’, will collect monies for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee gift. The second, called ‘Not’, allows people who don’t support the purchase of a Royal Yacht to still donate in celebration of the Jubilee. The ‘Not’ fund will be handed to the Queen to donate to charitable causes.
The previous Royal Yacht, HMY Britannia, was decommissioned in 1997. Earlier this year Michael Gove, secretary of State for Education, suggested giving the Queen a new Royal Yacht, funded by taxpayers if necessary, which was met with fierce criticism.
We know the Queen is a fan of superyachts. Earlier this month SuperYacht World reported that the Queen chartered Leander G to help her travel across the UK as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour.
Photograph of the Queen taken by Greg Goulding, Motorboats Monthly