Although the use of luxurious ships date back to the ancient history of Egyptian rulers, but depending on the much-later introduced term ‘yacht’, the crown for using it by a royalty goes undoubtedly to Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. Those were the first ever ships to unquestionably qualify as the Royal Yachts – depicting a symbol of grandeur, specifically designed for his highness and loaded with all the lavishness possibly imaginable to travel across the seas. Though the first one was a gift from the Dutch, but the later yachts were custom-built in England.
King Charles II had set a trend of bringing the first yacht into private usage, which was eventually established as a tradition, and later copied by other royalties of Europe. This trend progressively permeated so well in Europe that royal yachts became a symbol of national wealth amongst European Royal Families during the 19th century.
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