Edward Reed designed the 1868 Monarch and recruited the young Philip Watts into naval construction before resigning in July 1870 amid the HMS Captain dispute. Reed's engineering ability came with a difficult temperament. The Third Sea Lord regarded Reed's departure as a major loss to Royal Navy design. Watts later shaped Britain's dreadnought and Orion-class work, linking the two Monarchs through overlapping design teams. His approach to management distinguished minor mistakes, which subordinates or interfering officials could be allowed to discover for themselves, from decisions that endangered a ship or crew. For those more serious decisions, he retained responsibility.
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Reed, Watts, and two generations of HMS Monarch
The two ships named HMS Monarch connect Edward Reed's turret-ironclad work with Philip Watts and the Royal Navy's super-dreadnought era.