Queen Elizabeth II has ‘turned down’ PM Boris Johnson's plan to name the successor to British royal yacht Britannia after Prince Philip, Daily Mail reported.

Costing up to £200 million, the boat will be used to host ministerial summits and diplomatic talks as part of Johnson's plan to build links with other countries following Brexit.

It will be the first national flagship since Britannia, which was decommissioned in 1997, but the new vessel will be a ship rather than a luxury yacht.

The old vessel is currently berthed in Edinburgh, Scotland.

It was hoped that the ship would be named after the Prince Philip, who died in April at the age of 99, but the PM's plan was rejected by the royals.

A senior Whitehall inside had said the ship would be named after Prince Philip, who played a role in designing the original Britannia, if Buckingham Palace agreed to the plan.

But, a royal source said the suggestion was 'too grand' and added 'it is not something we have asked for.'

The Royal Family will not be using the new ship for personal travel or holidays, as they previously did with the former Royal Yacht Britannia, but will be able to use it to undertake overseas visits at the request of the government.

It is understood that the Queen, 95, no longer undertakes overseas travel because of her age.

The Royal Yacht was particularly important to the Royal Family, who used it as a private getaway for holidays and honeymoons for more than 40 years. 

Buckingham Palace has not been involved in the decision to commission the ship, but a source said 'we respect it.'   

Construction of the new ship is expected to begin as soon as 2022, and it will enter service within the next four years.

It is expected to be in service for about 30 years, and will be crewed by the Royal Navy.