In June 1949, the Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain wrote to the Admiralty on behalf of the club, asking the Lords of the Admiralty to agree to a Club flag based on the White Ensign, defaced with a portcullis, and a white burgee with a red Palace of Westminster portcullis and crown.[2] However, since 1842 the use of the White Ensign by a yacht club had only been permitted to the Royal Yacht Squadron,[3] and the Admiralty would not agree to it. An agreement was finally reached in June 1950 with the base for the club flag being the Blue Ensign, defaced with a plain gold vertical anchor surmounted by a gold royal coronet, and its burgee white with a red portcullis and coronet.[2]
In April 1950, the Secretary of the Club reported that it had 48 members, with 26 yachts.[2]
In 1952, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, received the title of "Admiral of the House of Lords Yacht Club" and was subsequently Commodore from 1961 to 1968.[4] In 2020, he continued to hold the title of Admiral of the club.[5]
Papers relating to the club's committee and annual meetings, its accounts, and its social events between 1951 and 1983 are held in the Parliamentary Archives.[6]
^ a b cShipbuilding and Shipping Record, vol. 73 (1949), p. 38
^ a b cDavid Prothero, Flag of House of Lords Yacht Club at fotw.info, accessed 8 April 2020; National Archives, file ref. ADM 1/21976
^David Prothero,A History of Yacht Club White Ensigns (United Kingdom) at crwflags.com, dated 13 January 2008, accessed 10 April 2020
^ a bCharles Kidd, Christine Shaw, eds., Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2008 (London: Debrett's, 2008), p. 1,003
^ a bHouse of Lords Yacht Club at royal.uk/charities-and-patronages, accessed 8 April 2020
^House of Lords Yacht Club: papers rel. to committee and AGM meetings; social events; accounts 1951-1983 at nationalarchives.gov.uk, accessed 8 April 2020