Royalist spent most of the war with the Fourth or First Light Cruiser Squadrons as part of the Grand Fleet's reconnaissance and screening force. She deployed whenever the battle fleet came out, keeping the screen relevant even when no enemy appeared. That assignment produced combat only when the opposing fleets generated a major action. The Harwich Force followed a different rhythm because its light cruisers and destroyers encountered German counterparts far more often. The comparison separates constant readiness and repeated sortie duty from the more visible measure of how many battles a ship fought.
Notable Point · 38:54-39:46
Royalist and the tempo of Grand Fleet screening
Royalist's steady reconnaissance service explains why a Grand Fleet screen could remain constantly relevant even when it saw less frequent combat than the Harwich Force.