A RACING FLAG FROM THE ROYAL SAILING YACHT BRITANNIA, CIRCA 1930

the Prince of Wales' feathers over a divided blue and red field, constructed in stitched bunting with canvas sleeve stamped '5' (tattered edge with old wear) -- 43 x 60in. (109 x 152.5cm.); together with a 76in. burgee of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club; a letter of provenance from Buckingham Palace dated 10th July 1936, where it is stated that both flags were flown on board Britannia; a Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club printed silk racing programme with gold trim, from 1883; a sealed pattern button for the same club dated 1880, in an envelope addressed to Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar; and a miniature silk burgee inscribed Lest We Forget.

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Royal Naval Club & Royal Albert Yacht Club, Portsmouth

His Majesty's Yacht Britannia played an important part in preparing challengers for the America's Cup. She was used as a trial horse for the Shamrocks and later, after conversion, for most of the 'J' Class yachts of the 1930s. Britannia was built in 1893 according to the plans of G. L. Watson for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, a keen and able helmsman. From the beginning, Britannia was a successful racing yacht winning races against Kaiser Wilhelm's Meteors, among many others. Britannia won over two hundred races in her career -- a record that has yet to be surpassed. She was beaten once by Navahoe, one of Herreshoff's boats, but fared better against another America's Cup yacht, Vigilant, winning twelve races out of seventeen. When Britannia was converted to race in the 'J' Class she was stripped of her bulwarks, given a one-piece mast and a Bermudan mainsail. The transition did not interrupt her run of success, although she performed best in hard weather.