Royal Sailing Yacht Britannia’s 76 Inches Burgee of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club c.1936

This large triangular racing burgee is made from pieced wool bunting with machine stitching with three vertical red, white and red stripes. The white stripe showing a blue shield with a white star and crescent moon motif below a royal crown. The leading edge is inscribed in black ink ‘R. Portsmouth Corin n/t’. It is accompanied by a copy of a black edged letter on Buckingham Palace writing paper dated 10th July 1936 saying ‘Dear Sir, I am commanded by the King and Queen Mary to send you these flags which were flown on board “Britannia” at various times during her career, including one of her racing flags. Their Majesties hope you will like to keep these in your club house as souvenirs of the old yacht. Yours Derek Keppell, Master of the Household, The Commodore, Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club.” It is offered with a Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club printed silk racing programme for the Sixth Regatta in Osborne Bay, 1883, with a gold fringe and a button attached with a red seal to a tag stating ‘Seabed Pattern Button Corinthian Yacht Club, jacket and vest, 1880’, in an envelope ‘On H.M. Service’ addressed to ‘General His Serene Highness, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Commodore of the Corinthian Yacht Club, Government House, Portsmouth’. English, circa 1936. Provenance: Royal Naval Club & Royal Albert Yacht Club, Portsmouth