Postwar industrial action slowed Eagle's conversion while Chile explored buying the former Almirante Cochrane back and restoring her as a battleship. Reconversion was estimated at about £2.5 million, against a Chilean offer of roughly £1.5 million. The Admiralty rejected that gap and also wanted to continue trials with a carrier fitted with an island. Price, sunk conversion work, and institutional demand for experimentation combined to settle the hull's future.
Notable Point · 24:28-25:08
Why Chile did not buy Almirante Cochrane back
Chile considered recovering the hull as a battleship, but the conversion cost, its lower offer, and the Admiralty's interest in carrier trials kept the ship British.