Floating palaces: royal yachts, maritime tours and constructions of monarchy, empire and decolonization, 1875-1997

Royal yachts were national and international instruments, operating in changing domestic and global contexts where Britain's influence was frequently disputed. This studentship would make an important scholarly contribution by analysing the significance of their activities within intertwined understandings of monarchy, nationhood, empire and decolonisation. With Britain's contemporary global profile, and imperial legacies - and with them the broad concept and implications of 'decolonization' - under close scrutiny this is a timely opportunity to address a neglected but multi-faceted component of these processes.

This project brings together in collaboration Birkbeck, University of London, and two members of the REACH CDP Consortium: the National Maritime Museum (NMM)(part of Royal Museums Greenwich) and Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). The REACH (Revisiting and Enhancing Approaches to Collections and Heritage) Consortium has five member institutions in total: NMM, HRP, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Film Institute and the National Trust.