Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:16:01-1:16:19

Lion and Princess Royal as Dominion transfers

Britain considered retaining its older battlecruisers through transfer to Australian or Canadian service.

BattlecruisersHMS Lion 1910HMS Princess Royal 1911Royal Australian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
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Question

Did Britain seriously consider keeping Lion and Princess Royal?

Short answer

Yes, including possible transfer to Australian or Canadian service.

Notes

Britain did consider ways to keep Lion and Princess Royal after their Royal Navy careers became difficult to justify. One possibility was transfer to Australian or Canadian service rather than continued operation in the British fleet. That route could preserve battlecruiser capability while shifting the crewing and support burden to a Dominion navy. The brief passage identifies a contemplated option rather than claiming that any transfer agreement was completed.