Royal Navy Fleet Flagship

In the Royal Navy, the fleet flagship is, in practice, the warship designated as the fleet's most prestigious vessel, currently HMS Prince of Wales.

In the modern era, the fleet flagship has usually been an aircraft carrier, but that changed in 2010 with the assignment of HMS Albion. The flag was transferred to HMS Bulwark in 2011 and HMS Ocean in June 2015,[1] then to HMS Albion in 2018.[2] Finally, the flag reverted to an aircraft carrier when HMS Queen Elizabeth took up her position in January 2021.[3] The position was rotated to HMS Prince of Wales on the 2 December 2024.

Flagships in the Royal Navy

Technically, the fleet flagship would be the ship that would host the two-star maritime battlestaff headquarters (such as COMUKMARFOR, a Rear Admiral who normally is based ashore) for operations.

Generally, a flagship is a ship in which an Admiral (or a Commodore) flies his flag (or broad pennant). As, in the Royal Navy, shore establishments can be commissioned as warships, the term can also indicate that of shore establishments run by senior Royal Naval commanders. For example, in 1960, the Commanders-in-Chief of the Home Fleet and its successors the Western Fleet, and Commander-in-Chief Fleet, flew their flags ashore in HMS Warrior in Northwood, before the downgraded three-star Fleet Commander moved to Portsmouth in 2005. Since then the Fleet Commander has flown his flag from these headquarters at the shore establishment HMS Excellent. In addition, the First Sea Lord flies his flag in HMS Victory (permanently based at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, but still a commissioned warship), and she is thus referred to as the 'First Sea Lord's Flagship'.[4]

"National Flagship"

In 2021 the UK Government announced plans for a new "national flagship" crewed and run by the Royal Navy that despite this designation would not be a command ship but a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia.[5] The plans were abandoned in November 2022.[6]

Historic flagships

Ship Dates
HMS Elizabeth Bonaventure / HMS Bonaventure 1567–1626
HMS Ark Royal / HMS Anne Royal 1587–1636
Naseby / HMS Royal Charles 1655–1667
HMS Iron Duke 1914–1917
HMS Queen Elizabeth 1917–1919

Modern fleet flagships

Ship Dates
HMS Invincible 1993–2005
HMS Ark Royal 2005–2007
HMS Illustrious 2007–2009
HMS Ark Royal 2009 – 13 December 2010[7]
HMS Albion 13 December 2010 – 11 October 2011[8]
HMS Bulwark 11 October 2011 – 1 June 2015[9]
HMS Ocean 1 June 2015 – 27 March 2018[10]
HMS Albion 27 March 2018 - 27 January 2021[11]
HMS Queen Elizabeth 27 January 2021 - 2 December 2024[12]
HMS Prince of Wales 2 December 2024 - to date

See also

References

  1. ^ "Brazil says it has bagged Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean for £84m". The Register. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Future flagship Albion completes sea trials after £90m overhaul". Royal Navy. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  3. ^ "HMS Queen Elizabeth takes over the Fleet Flagship role from HMS Albion". Naval Today. 27 January 2021.
  4. ^ HMS Victory hoists First Sea Lord's flag 10.10.12, Forces News, Youtube, retrieved 2022-10-14
  5. ^ BBC, "Plans for new national flagship to promote 'Best of British'"
  6. ^ "UK drops plans for £250m national flagship yacht". BBC News. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  7. ^ "HMS Albion assumes role of fleet flagship". Ministry of Defence. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Plymouth-based HMS Albion becomes Royal Navy flagship". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  9. ^ "HMS Ocean to assume Fleet Flagship role". Royal Navy. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Queen decommissions British warship, HMS Ocean, in Devon". BBC. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Future flagship Albion completes sea trials after £90m overhaul". Royal Navy. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  12. ^ "HMS Queen Elizabeth becomes British flagship". ukdefencejournal.org.uk. 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.