HMY Alexandra
 HMY Alexandra
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
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| Name: | Alexandra |
| Namesake: | Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom |
| Owner: | His Majesty's Government |
| Operator: | Royal Navy |
| Builder: | A. & J. Inglis in Glasgow, Scotland |
| Yard number: | 280 |
| Launched: | 30 May 1907 |
| Completed: | April 1908 |
| Maiden voyage: | June 1908 |
| Out of service: | June 1922 |
| Fate: | Sold to the Norwegian shipping company Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab in May 1925 |
 Norway
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| Name: | Prins Olav |
| Namesake: | Prince Olav of Norway |
| Owner: | Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab |
| Port of registry: | Trondheim |
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| Cost: | £25,000 |
| Acquired: | May 1925 |
| Maiden voyage: | Bergen–North Cape, beginning on 5 July 1925 |
| Refit: |
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| Identification: |
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| Fate: | Sunk by German bombers on 9 June 1940 |
| General characteristics as built | |
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| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Beam: | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| Draught: | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion: | Three Parsons turbines with 4,035 ihp |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 100 passengers (after 1925 rebuild) |
| General characteristics after 1937 rebuild | |
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| Propulsion: | 3,500 ihp four-cylinder compound engine |
| Speed: | 17 knots (31 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 450 passengers |
HMY Alexandra was a steamship built as a British royal yacht, completed in 1908. Normally transporting Britain's royal family to European ports, Alexandra served as a hospital ship during the First World War. After 17 years of British service, she was sold to Norwegian commercial interests in 1925. Renamed Prins Olav, she was first used as a luxury cruise ship on trips to the North Cape, she was converted to take more passengers and cargo. In 1937 she began sailing as a Hurtigruten passenger/cargo ship along the coast of Norway. After being requisitioned by the Norwegian government following the 9 April 1940 German invasion of Norway, she transported troops for the Norwegian war effort. Prins Olav was sunk by German bombers on 9 June 1940, while attempting to escape to the United Kingdom as the Norwegian Campaign was coming to an end.
Alexandra was intended to supplement the larger British royal yacht Victoria and Albert, which had proven too large and unwieldy to carry out all her tasks satisfactorily. The contract for Alexandra's construction was the first for a royal yacht to be given through open competition, the assignment going to the experienced River Clyde shipbuilders A. & J. Inglis. The new ship was named for Queen Alexandra, the consort of Edward VII of the United Kingdom.
Alexandra had yard number 280 and was launched on 30 May 1907 in Glasgow, Scotland. The ship's sponsor was Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, Edward VII's sister.
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