Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 46:09-54:56

Q&A: Why Royal Navy names avoid reigning monarchs

A ship-naming question leads to the convention of honoring past monarchs rather than placing the reigning sovereign’s name at risk at sea.

British MonarchyElizabeth IGeorge VIRoyal NavyShip Naming
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Question

Does the Royal Navy have a problem with naming ships after people other than royalty?

Short answer

The choice is presented chiefly as a political issue. The royal-name examples distinguish honoring a past monarch from risking the sitting sovereign's name on a warship.

Notes

The Royal Navy uses many inherited personal and royal names, and political considerations influence which ones it chooses. HMS Queen Elizabeth is identified here with Elizabeth I. George VI's preference for naming the King George V-class lead ship after his father is given as the precedent for avoiding a sitting monarch's name. A later reply explains the concern: losing a ship named directly for the reigning sovereign would carry an awkward political meaning. The comparison is with Germany renaming Deutschland after the Second World War began.