Photo: Clarence House
Not that there was any doubt, but serious money changes hands on the market of royal memorabilia. Prince Philip’s second and most beloved Albatross motorboat is a good example in this sense.
At the end of last month, Bonhams announced the upcoming auction of a true blue-blood collectible: a 1956 Albatross MKIII Super Sports Runabout motorboat whose original owner had been none other than the late Duke of Edinburgh, Royal Consort, HRH Prince Philip. The power boat, offered in original, unrestored and overall good condition, crossed the auction block last weekend, at the auction house’s Goodwood Members Meeting Sale held at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.
The initial estimate for the three-seater boat was between £20,000 ($26,000) and £20,000 ($30,000), betting primarily on the royal association and its limited-edition appeal. Bonhams did mention in the original listing that the power boat still had potential functionality, but the reality was that its main appeal was the fact that it was one of the 607 units of the type produced (and 1,300 Albatross boats in total) and the fact that the late Prince had used it on and off for 30 years.
It turns out that someone really wanted it in their collection, because the hammer dropped at £69,000, which is roughly $90,000 at the current exchange rate and more than two times the highest estimate.
Albatross Marine Ltd was founded in 1949 and got its start with racing hydroplanes, before introducing “the flying boat” in 1951. That model would come to be known as MKII and Prince Philip was one of the first customers. When he took it in for servicing some years later, he was offered a replacement MKIII, which had been introduced in 1956 and boasted a series of improvements over the predecessor, including a more powerful version of the marinized Ford 100E, 172cc four-cylinder side-valve engine.
Prince Philip loved it because, with its top speed of 34 mph (54.7 kph), it was perfect for water skiing. He loved it so much that he kept it around – and used it whenever he got the chance – for the next three decades. Prior to its decommissioning in 1987, it was driven by the late Princess Diana, was held at the Balmoral Estate and, prior to that, carried on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Upon introduction, the Albatross MKIII was originally offered at a price of £550 ($715 at the current exchange rate, but nearly $20,000 in today’s money, adjusted to inflation). It soon became a staple with public figures and celebrities, including the late Prince Philip, Brigitte Bardot, Lord and Lady Docker, Aristotle Onasis, Prince Rainier of Monaco (who owned six of them), or Thai racing driver Prince Bira. Whoever the buyer of Prince Philip’s unit is, they’re in fine company.
The initial estimate for the three-seater boat was between £20,000 ($26,000) and £20,000 ($30,000), betting primarily on the royal association and its limited-edition appeal. Bonhams did mention in the original listing that the power boat still had potential functionality, but the reality was that its main appeal was the fact that it was one of the 607 units of the type produced (and 1,300 Albatross boats in total) and the fact that the late Prince had used it on and off for 30 years.
It turns out that someone really wanted it in their collection, because the hammer dropped at £69,000, which is roughly $90,000 at the current exchange rate and more than two times the highest estimate.
Albatross Marine Ltd was founded in 1949 and got its start with racing hydroplanes, before introducing “the flying boat” in 1951. That model would come to be known as MKII and Prince Philip was one of the first customers. When he took it in for servicing some years later, he was offered a replacement MKIII, which had been introduced in 1956 and boasted a series of improvements over the predecessor, including a more powerful version of the marinized Ford 100E, 172cc four-cylinder side-valve engine.
Prince Philip loved it because, with its top speed of 34 mph (54.7 kph), it was perfect for water skiing. He loved it so much that he kept it around – and used it whenever he got the chance – for the next three decades. Prior to its decommissioning in 1987, it was driven by the late Princess Diana, was held at the Balmoral Estate and, prior to that, carried on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Upon introduction, the Albatross MKIII was originally offered at a price of £550 ($715 at the current exchange rate, but nearly $20,000 in today’s money, adjusted to inflation). It soon became a staple with public figures and celebrities, including the late Prince Philip, Brigitte Bardot, Lord and Lady Docker, Aristotle Onasis, Prince Rainier of Monaco (who owned six of them), or Thai racing driver Prince Bira. Whoever the buyer of Prince Philip’s unit is, they’re in fine company.
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