Vanguard was an established Royal Navy capital-ship name long before Fisher's career. Earlier examples included a 90-gun second rate in 1678, a third rate in 1835, and an Audacious-class ironclad launched in 1869. The designers of the final Vanguard called her a fully armoured battlecruiser, while calling the King George V and projected Lion classes fast battleships. Later comparisons with the Iowas used a different political frame for classification. Fisher's role in establishing the name is disputed because his predecessors had already used it for capital ships.
Notable Point · 8:38-10:31
Vanguard's long history and battlecruiser classification
Contemporary designers called the final HMS Vanguard a fully armoured battlecruiser, while describing the King George V and projected Lion classes as fast battleships.