No Royal Yacht? You'd better borrow mine for Jubilee year - former car park tycoon to lend the Queen his £50M yacht -

No Royal Yacht? You'd better borrow mine for Jubilee year - former car park tycoon to lend the Queen his £50M yacht - 

The Queen has only once shed tears in public – when her Royal Yacht, Britannia, was taken away in 1997.

Now she is ‘delighted’ that she will once again have the use of a luxury yacht, to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. 

The Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal that former car park tycoon Sir Donald Gosling is to lend the Queen his £50 million super-yacht Leander to mark her 60 years on the Throne.

And neither the Monarch nor the taxpayer will have to pay a penny.

The 246ft yacht is normally available for charter at £440,000 a week, but Sir Donald, 82, said: ‘I wouldn’t expect a fee for something that is on behalf of the nation.

‘It’s a great shame we no longer have a Royal Yacht. And while I wouldn’t put Leander in the same class as Britannia, she is a good ship capable of helping out in the celebrations.

‘The Queen visited Leander in Portsmouth a couple of months ago and liked what she saw. She spent a couple of hours on board and had lunch.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018124/No-Royal-Yacht-Youd-better-borrow-Jubilee-year-Your-Majesty-says-car-parking-tycoon.html#ixzz1SykBZmAf

And neither the Monarch nor the taxpayer will have to pay a penny.

The 246ft yacht is normally available for charter at £440,000 a week, but Sir Donald, 82, said: ‘I wouldn’t expect a fee for something that is on behalf of the nation.