Why would the monarchy object to naming a Royal Navy ship Cromwell when the British Army used the name for a tank?
Short answerCromwell's regicide and republican symbolism made the name awkward for the Royal Navy, while the Army's mixed royalist and parliamentary inheritance changed its institutional meaning.
NotesThe discussion connects Cromwell's role in the overthrow and execution of Charles I with royal resistance to using his name for a warship. His army's ability to frighten European powers does not remove the domestic symbolism of regicide and republican government. The exchange also explains why the British Army can use Cromwell more comfortably: the Army is not collectively styled Royal because it fused royalist and parliamentary formations. Institutional inheritance can make the same historical name acceptable in one armed service and politically charged in another.