Battenberg's appointments repeatedly exposed the Admiralty to parliamentary accusations of royal favouritism. In the first August 1887 exchange, Redmond claimed that a German prince had been placed over roughly 30 British officers. Hamilton distinguished appointment as Dreadnought's commander, its senior executive officer, from promotion to captain or command of the ship. He defended Battenberg as the best-qualified candidate on experience and service record. Pickersgill then threatened to seek the withholding of Battenberg's salary, while an MP who had commanded him as a lieutenant defended his competence. The Admiralty's willingness to spend political capital on these repeated disputes supports the argument that it valued his ability.
Chapter · 23:17-32:18
Political attacks on Battenberg's Dreadnought appointment
The first August 1887 exchanges confused Battenberg's appointment as executive officer with command of HMS Dreadnought and escalated into a demand to withhold his pay.