Ark Royal had not been used for 327 years, despite its association with Elizabeth I and the Armada and Cadiz battle honours. During the age of sail the name was considered sufficiently elevated for first rates, including ships that were never built, rather than being spent on an ordinary vessel. Its unusual word order also gave the name a distinctive prestige among Royal Navy names containing Royal. The naming committee therefore did not simply revive a familiar recent title. Giving this long-reserved name to an aviation ship signaled institutional belief that the experimental vessel mattered.
Notable Point · 9:36-12:42
An Elizabethan name revived after three centuries
The Royal Navy revived an Elizabethan name with Armada and Cadiz honors after a gap of more than three centuries.