A treaty-era role for new armoured cruisers

How might the Royal Navy have used armoured cruisers if the Washington Naval Treaty had allowed a separate category?

As station flagships and carrier escorts, probably armed with guns around 9.2 to ten inches.

If the Washington system had permitted a new armoured-cruiser allowance, the Royal Navy would probably use the ships as overseas flagships and heavy carrier escorts. A plausible gun hierarchy would give light cruisers six-inch weapons, heavy cruisers eight-inch weapons, and armoured cruisers perhaps 9.2- to ten-inch guns. Treaty definitions would shape the ships' missions as well as weapon development. The category could therefore restore a large station cruiser without classifying it as a capital ship.