A royal voyage carried enough political importance for the Admiralty to choose its best available ships without normal cost objections. The escorts had to look impressive, keep pace over long distances, and carry crews capable of solving emergencies around the world. Choosing St George and Royal Arthur shows that the Admiralty still trusted the Edgar class. Their selection tested prestige, endurance, seamanship, reliability, and contingency response together.
Notable Point · 49:42-51:27
Royal-yacht escort duty as a test of cruiser quality
The selection of two Edgar-class cruisers to escort Ophir signals confidence in their appearance, range, reliability, and crews.