Queen Elizabeth II: Royal Yacht Britannia crew member recalls serving on board

Barry Spencer served on board the Royal Yacht Britannia for more than 10 years

From a panicked first encounter with the Queen to taking young princes William and Harry out fishing, Barry Spencer enjoyed many "great times" serving on board the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Mr Spencer, of Portchester, Hampshire spent more than a decade on the yacht, taking the late Queen and members of the royal family on holidays, state visits and hosting international statesmen and women.

As a young marine engineer in 1985, he secured a place in the crew to help maintain and operate the small tender boats used to ferry members of the Royal Family to and from the yacht.

Each of Britannia's 20 officers and 220 yachtsmen, known as "Yotties", were personally selected by the commanding officer to serve on the vessel.

Barry Spencer now lives near Britannia's former berth at Whale Island, Portsmouth

"I was very proud to be accepted to join - I was in all the papers at home." said Mr Spencer, originally from Bradford.

He vividly remembers the first time he encountered the monarch while working on deck.

"I was going about my duties and I glimpsed, out of the corner of my eye, the Queen looking out to sea.

"I went into a panic. 'Should I be here? Should I get out of the way?'. But it was too late, she was walking up the deck straight towards me."

'An amazing moment'

Knowing the strict protocol, Mr Spencer stood to attention and waited to be spoken to first.

"She said 'Good morning, the weather's beautiful. Is it going to stay like this for the beach party this afternoon?'," he said.

"She just started chatting - she asked me what I did on the boat, asked about family, my history of what navy ships I'd served on.

"We were just having a chat for three or four minutes - just me and the Queen.

"I remember everything she said - it was an amazing moment."

The Royal Family had holidays in the Western Isles on board the Royal Yacht Britannia

On cruises around the Western Isles, Mr Spencer would ferry members of the Royal Family ashore for barbecues or games on the beach.

He recalled a trip when the then Prince of Wales requested the young princes, William and Harry, be taken out fishing.

"We had a few hours together in a boat. They must have been about five-years-old or so and had their little fishing rods. It was just a fantastic experience - we never caught anything unfortunately!," he recalled.

Mr Spencer remained on Britannia up to and beyond its decommissioning in 1997.

'Always had a smile'

"I just remember the great times - how honoured we were to be working for the Royal Family," he said.

"They'd take time out and chat to the crew - they really appreciated what we did for them. There was a really nice atmosphere."

On hearing the news of the Queen's death on Thursday, Mr Spencer said he "took time to reflect" at his home in Portchester, Hampshire.

"She was such a fantastic woman - it was the dedication to the country and she always had a smile."

He and former crewmates are due at an upcoming reunion on board Britannia.

"It will be very a emotional moment getting together and no doubt there'll be toasts made to Her Majesty, so that'll be quite poignant," he said.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

• Designed to be the Queen's floating residence, The Royal Yacht Britannia was launched on 16 April 1953 at the John Brown & Co shipyard on the River Clyde.

• The Queen described the yacht as a place she could "truly relax".

• Crew members wore soft-soled shoes to reduce noise and were given orders by hand signal, to avoid disturbing The Queen. Duties included ensuring the slope of the royal gangway was never steeper than 12 degrees.

• Calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries during its 44-year service, Britannia travelled more than one million miles around the world on 968 State visits. Heads of state including US presidents Reagan, Eisenhower and Clinton were also welcomed aboard.

• There were apartments for 250 guests. About 45 members of the royal household would accompany the Queen on State visits, along with five tonnes of luggage.

• Following its decommissioning in 1997, Britannia embarked on a farewell tour of the UK before Leith docks near Edinburgh became its home. Britannia is now run by a charitable trust and has become a major tourist attraction, welcoming thousands of visitors every year.

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