Q&A ยท 3:32:58-3:36:08

Naming Australian and Canadian Queen Elizabeth carriers

Australian and Canadian carrier names would have to balance historic precedent with names already assigned elsewhere in each fleet.

Question

What might Australia and Canada have named Queen Elizabeth-class carriers of their own?

Short answer

Melbourne or Australia are plausible Australian choices, while Bonaventure is the strongest Canadian carrier precedent.

Notes

For Australia, the panel considers Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Australia, but several traditional names are already carried by frigates or destroyers. Melbourne offers direct carrier continuity, while HMAS Australia would make the political significance explicit. For Canada, Bonaventure and Magnificent provide historic carrier precedents, with Bonaventure the likelier revival. The discussion also shows that capital-ship naming is a political act as well as a heritage exercise.