History

It was during the reign of King Edward VII that the Band first provided music aboard the Royal Yacht when, in 1902, they embarked in HMY Victoria and Albert on the occasion of the cruise made by the King for the restoration of his health. One year later the Band was appointed by the King as the permanent Royal Yacht Band, a privileged duty they performed until the eventual decommissioning of HMY Britannia on the 11 December 1997.

On their appointment as the Royal Yacht Band in 1903 and when embarked, the musicians were authorised to wear a special split cap badge which consisted of a flaming grenade surrounded by laurel leaves. Following the visit to India by King George V in HMS Medina for the Durbar at Delhi in 1911 the King ordered that his Royal Cypher GRV in silver was to be a permanent addition to the special cap badge and that it was to be worn by the Band at all times.

In 1925 the Band were further honoured when, following a convalescent cruise by King George in the Mediterranean in the Royal Yacht, the Sovereign commanded that all members of the Band should wear, at all times, a badge on the right shoulder bearing words 'Royal Yacht' surmounted by the crown. The badge was eventually adopted and worn by all Royal Yachtsmen.