Treaty-era presence missions and worldwide service

The class remained active into the treaty era, including service connected with the Chanak crisis, the Mediterranean Fleet, and the Black Sea during the Russian Civil War. Some naval officers resisted losing reliable warhorses when the four ships would be replaced by only Nelson and Rodney. The older ships were spacious, credible, and comparatively expendable choices for global presence missions, while the Queen Elizabeths were too valuable to wear down and Nelson or Rodney risked strategic embarrassment if caught alone at the start of a conflict. Proposals even considered altered armament arrangements that might extend the class's usefulness. Relative value, availability, and strategic risk shaped peacetime force employment even when treaty rules ultimately required replacement.