Before she was decommissioned in 1997, HM Yacht Britannia was not only a home from home for The Queen for many foreign tours, but also a favourite holiday destination each summer. In early August Her Majesty would leave London by train and travel to Portsmouth, where she would arrive at the station to be greeted by a small crowd of well-wishers. After speaking with them briefly she would be driven in her official car to the naval dockyard, where Britannia would be ready to set sail shortly thereafter. I went to Portsmouth on this day several times and always enjoyed it. Her Majesty was always clearly looking forward to her holiday after a long summer of engagements, and the prospect of a few days completely away from the eyes of the world must have been very appealing at times.

After seeing The Queen at the station I would join the crowds along the sea wall, to wait for Britannia to come slowly into sight, rounding the corner as she moved out of the harbour. There were always huge numbers of people there to witness this splendid sight, with every vantage point packed, and as the ship passed The Queen could be seen out on the deck waving farewell, and we all waved back until we could see the yacht no longer.

This was a very special sight to see, and I was very sad when it all came to an end.

In 2002 I had the honour of having a number of my royal photographs displayed aboard The Royal Yacht, now a major and wonderful tourist attraction in Edinburgh, as part of their official celebrations of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee.