What is an example of a ship name that would be out of place in its navy?
Short answerCromwell and Pitt are given as rejected Royal Navy names, with a French Louis XVI offered as another politically awkward example.
NotesHMS Cromwell and HMS Pitt appear in anecdotes about names rejected by the royal family. Cromwell creates an obvious tension with the Royal Navy's royal identity, while Pitt invites an unflattering alteration by sailors. A hypothetical French ship named Louis XVI extends the question to names at odds with the state or navy using them.