Prince Philip royal yacht tribute slammed as waste of money as poll thumbs it down: 'Ridiculously ostentatious'
Prince Philip died on April 9, after returning from the hospital where he had stayed for weeks after complaining of feeling unwell. Now, tributes from different parts of the United Kingdom and the world are pouring in. One suggestion said it would be a fitting tribute to build a royal yacht in his memory.
However, a poll conducted by Express revealed that people thought the idea was 'ridiculously ostentatious', especially considering how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the country and the world. Some even said that keeping the memory of Prince Philip alive through an ocean liner was a "waste of money". The idea of dedicating a royal yacht was proposed by a cabinet minister, who was not named. The minister also said that the yacht would be called HMY The Duke of Edinburgh and explained how this would serve as a sister vessel to aircraft carriers Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales.
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The minister reportedly believed that a luxurious ship would be a "very fitting" way to commemorate the Duke of Edinburgh, the royal family's patriarch. The poll conducted by Express asked its readers, "Should a new royal yacht be built in tribute to Prince Philip?" It was revealed that 56 percent of the people who took up the poll (1,929 readers) said no while 43 percent (1,526) said yes.
Many took to commenting on this proposal which received heavy backlash as readers felt that such an expensive project in the current environment would be extremely inappropriate. One reader was quoted as saying, "It would be a ridiculously ostentatious act at a time where the country is struggling to get back onto its feet financially. Whoever suggested it should take a good, long look at themselves."
Another critic of the idea recalled how the former royal yacht Britannia was a "waste of money" and added, "It was built when international air travel was in its infancy, ocean liners were used for transatlantic travel. If we need to entertain dignitaries they can use the embassies." One reader instead suggested how "the money should go into the Duke of Edinburgh Award to continue his good work."
There were also questions whether the cost of building a new royal yacht will be borne by taxpayers. One reader reportedly commented, "The Queens a billionaire. If she wants a boat tell her to go and buy one."
The readers who supported the idea believed that the proposed royal yacht would be a great symbol to remember Prince Philip by and also said it could be a useful marketing tool for post-Brexit Britain.
One reader commented, "Floating marketing billboard to help with generating trade." A few also believed that this move would generate jobs directly and indirectly. One person commented, "We should have another royal yacht. It must of course be built in a British shipyard using British navel architects, engineers and skilled British labor." This person also added, "The last royal yacht was used not just for the Royal Family as some on here seem to think. It was part of the British naval fleet, used for navel training, also international business smooching."
It was reported that a total of 3,489 people took the poll of which 1 percent said they did not know if this was a good idea.