Rule Britannia
Sir: I was astonished to read Bruce Ander- son's article (Politics, 1 February), which has just been brought to my attention, in which he attacks me as the leader 'of those who responded in such a despicable fash- ion' to the proposal for a new royal yacht Britannia, suggesting that I have opposed the building of a new yacht. He asks, 'Have we really become such a mean-spirited,
small-minded, envious little people so neg- ligent of our traditions and our past glories; so unworthy of them?'
My position is exactly the opposite of what he states. I have always supported the building of a new royal yacht to replace the present Britannia in the usual way, namely at public expense. This will not appear to be surprising in view of my own record in ocean racing, in which I captained the British team for three years, and because of the hospitality I have enjoyed so frequently on Britannia during Cowes Week.
There is no excuse for Bruce Anderson's characteristic personal abuse. In a speech which I made in the House of Commons on 7 February last year I said, and I quote:
Many people think that one can just sell off the royal yacht because it does not matter. They are completely wrong. People say that if we are to have a monarchy, it must be treated appropriately. The royal yacht has stood this country in good stead, with royal visits all over the world. Why throw it away?
Mr Anderson accuses me of disloyalty to the Queen and to the Most Noble Order of the Garter of which I am proud to be a member. Had he listened to what I actually said on this subject, he would know that I most certainly did, and said, nothing which could have embarrassed Her Majesty, or any member of the royal family, in any way. I am so informing Her Majesty.
Ironically, I had in fact set out precisely the same argument that he does: namely, criticising the Secretary of State for Defence for displaying a lack of good judgment in setting out 'to wrong-foot' his Labour oppo- nents in reaching a decision on what should have been a non-partisan question. Like Bruce Anderson, I believe that this was always bound to draw the royal family, wholly reluctantly, into the party fray. I wonder whether he will now be gracious enough to withdraw his comments, which were unfounded as well as unpleasant.
Edward Heath
House of Commons, London SW1
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