Never to sail in her : Victoria & Albert III, Queen Victoria's last Royal Yacht /Mike Keulemans.

"In the days when Britannia ruled the waves, arguably from the mid-18th Century, Britain had established a naval hegemony that was to remain unrivalled until the 1920s. As a result of the rich pickings afforded the academic or enthusiast, a significant proportion of the ships that had fought to achieve and represent the nation's maritime superiority are well recorded, indeed some of these vessels, perhaps most notably H.M.S. Victory,a re preserved to this day. By the mid 1800s, Heads of State of maritime, and quite a few not so maritime, nations would vie with each other to build bigger, faster and more opulent Royal or State Yachts. Perhaps because we did not feel the need, with a Royal Navy that was the envy of the world, Britain's dominance of the oceans saw our Royal Yachts somewhat less ostentatious than many others. They were reflective of the whims of the Monarchy and embodied British inventiveness and technology, evidencing the industrial progress of our small island nation that, towards the end of the Victorian era, was building over 60% of the world's ships. One important vessel which to date has largely avoided the chronicler's attention is the Royal Yacht VIctoria & Albert III. Here that omission is put to rights."--Provided by the publisher.