HMS Royal Sovereign

Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS "Royal Sovereign":

* HMS "Sovereign of the Seas", the great prestige ship of King Charles I, was launched in 1637 as a 102-gun first-rate ship of the line. She was later renamed "Royal Sovereign" and served in the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the War of the Grand Alliance. She fought at Beachy Head, La Hougue and many other battles. She was "rebuilt" twice (1661 and 1685), each time so extensively (much changed in size and appearance) that these "rebuilds" might well be considered as new ships. She was finally burnt by accident at Chatham on January 27, 1697. "Sovereign of the Seas 1638" (history), Crown, 2006, webpage: [http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.3899 RoyalN-3899] .]
* "Royal Sovereign" was a first-rate launched in 1701. She was Admiral George Rooke's flagship in the War of the Spanish Succession. She underwent a "great repair" (1722-1725) so extensive that the result might be considered a new ship. She was finally broken up in 1766.
* "Royal Sovereign" was a first-rate launched in 1786. She was Admiral Collingwood's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
* "Royal Sovereign", originally launched in 1857 as a 131-gun screw first-rate, was converted 1861-1863 into the first turret ship of the Royal Navy. She was sold for breaking in 1885.
* "Royal Sovereign", launched in 1891, was the name ship of her class of eight 15,000-ton pre-"Dreadnought" battleships built under the Naval Defence Act 1889. She was scrapped in 1913.
* "Royal Sovereign", launched in May 1915, was a "Revenge"-class battleship. Displacing 27,500 tons and armed with 8–15 inch guns, she fought in World War I and World War II. She was transferred to the Soviet Navy in 1944 and renamed "Arkhangelsk", and in 1949 sent back to Britain and scrapped.

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