The Royal Yacht Britannia looks set to star in the fifth series of Netflix’s hit royal drama The Crown after a replica of the iconic ship was spotted on the show’s set in Elstree, London.
Crews have recreated the top deck of the 126 metre yacht, which was pictured alongside replicas of the entrances to Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street on the set. It is thought the green screen panels attached to the model will be used to create the surrounding ocean.
The Royal Yacht Britannia was used as Queen Elizabeth II’s royal yacht from 1954 to 1997, hosting up to 250 guests at a time while being operated by 21 officers and 250 crew from the Royal Navy. However, in 1997 the ship was decommissioned as a cost-cutting measure by the UK government.
It comes as the UK government kicked off a process to build a new national flagship, inviting UK designers and shipbuilders to bid to construct the vessel.
The project was announced with a price tag of £250m and a tight build schedule, with construction due to begin next year and the ship expected to enter service within the next four.