HMY Britannia was the British royal yacht that carried Queen Elizabeth II during her 1976 United States Bicentennial visit.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made a state visit to the United States as part of the Bicentennial observances. Their itinerary included Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Britannia served as both transport and a highly visible symbol of the close historical relationship between Britain and the United States.
The royal couple attended Bicentennial functions with President Gerald Ford and visited locations associated with the American Revolution. The yacht's stops were part of a wider national celebration that included naval reviews, tall ships, parades, exhibitions, and fireworks.
HMY Britannia was commissioned in 1954 and served the British royal family until 1997. It is often confused with HMS vessels because the British monarch's naval role and royal travel overlapped, but the correct designation for the yacht is HMY, meaning His or Her Majesty's Yacht.