What if the Royal Navy ordered an updated Hermes rather than the Invincible class?
Short answerIt could have built a useful modern light fleet carrier, but at the cost of more crew and a substantially larger ship.
NotesAn updated Hermes would effectively become a modern light fleet carrier rather than a minimal anti-submarine cruiser. The alternative was workable, although its larger hull and air group would require more crew and support than the Invincible approach. Adding roughly four to eight thousand tons to Invincible addressed the same need for more usable aviation volume. Both routes therefore led toward a larger carrier.