The Queen has only once shed tears in public – when her Royal Yacht, Britannia, was taken away in 1997.
Now she is ‘delighted’ that she will once again have the use of a luxury yacht, to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The Mail on Sunday reports that former car park tycoon Sir Donald Gosling is to lend the Queen his £50 million super-yacht Leander to mark her 60 years on the Throne. And neither the Monarch nor the taxpayer will have to pay a penny. The 246ft yacht is normally available for charter at £440,000 a week, but Sir Donald, 82, said: ‘I wouldn’t expect a fee for something that is on behalf of the nation.
It’s a great shame we no longer have a Royal Yacht. And while I wouldn’t put Leander in the same class as Britannia, she is a good ship capable of helping out in the celebrations. ‘The Queen visited Leander in Portsmouth a couple of months ago and liked what she saw. She spent a couple of hours on board and had lunch.
A Royal source said last night: ‘The Queen is delighted. She used to love to entertain on the Royal Yacht and she will love this. Leander, we understand, is to have a bit of a facelift, but it is a style she loves – quite old-fashioned, quite chintzy. She also really likes Sir Donald. He makes her laugh.’
The 1,930-ton Leander is among the world’s largest and most luxurious yachts available for private charter. It boasts two master bedrooms, eight en suite guest cabins, a sauna, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, grand piano and helipad, and is renowned for its ‘fantastic cellar and phenomenal food’.
Talks about the use of Leander for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee have been protracted and it is still unclear exactly what role the yacht will play. ‘I have had discussions with officials but no plans are concrete,’ said Sir Donald. ‘It’s going to be a great year and the Queen will be in enormous demand. She will be visiting much of the country and everyone is putting in bids on her time. But she will need some life to herself – she works pretty hard as it is". World Marine Guide will be updating information on the Diamond Jubilee Pageant as we get it.
The main celebrations will take place over an extended weekend from 2nd to 5th June.The central event will be a river pageant featuring a flotilla of 1,000 boats sailing down the Thames from Putney to Tower Bridge. The procession will be accompanied by fireworks, Marina events and the ringing of church bells.
Read more on Queens Diamond Jubilee River Pageant with World Marine Guide . Find out how you can Get involved with the Pageant
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