Britannia's retirement is placed under Tony Blair rather than Margaret Thatcher. Earlier plans had envisaged a replacement, but the yacht left service without one. By then, the heavy-fuel-oil ship was about 45 years old and needed replacement. The criticism concerns the loss of its diplomatic function, with the need to retire the ageing vessel explicitly acknowledged.
Notable Point · 2:49:19-2:50:28
Retiring Britannia without a replacement
The objection to Britannia's retirement concerns the absence of a replacement diplomatic ship, while acknowledging that the old yacht needed renewal.