Royal Navy is the oldest branch of the United Kingdom’s armed forces. It is responsible for most of the country’s military naval operations. The Royal Navy has long been one of the world’s most advanced and powerful navies.
Royal Navy history began with England’s first naval fleet in the late 800’s. At that time, a newly united England needed warships for defense against Danish Vikings. In the 1000’s, port towns began supplying ships and crews for the navy. The original ports—called the Cinque (French for five) Ports—were Dover, Hastings, Romney, Hythe, and Sandwich. Such ports provided many of the ships involved in the 1340 Battle of Sluys, off the present-day Netherlands coast. In that battle, the English defeated the French, allowing an invasion force to cross the English Channel early in the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453).
King Henry VIII greatly expanded the navy—at that time called the British Navy—in the early 1500’s. In 1588, English warships destroyed the Spanish Armada, a fleet of armed ships from Spain that tried to invade England. The British Navy became the Royal Navy in 1660. In 1664, the first regiment of Royal Marines was formed as part of the navy.
In the 1700’s, British warships fought Spanish, French, and American ships around Europe and North America. Among the many important battles was the 1759 victory over the French at Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France. The defeat prevented the French from aiding their forces in North America and led to the French surrender in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). Also in the 1700’s, Royal Navy ships explored much of the Pacific Ocean.
The Royal Navy won its most famous victory over a combined Spanish and French fleet at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. Fought during the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815), the battle established British control of the seas around Europe. British Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died in the battle, and his flagship HMS Victory became Royal Navy legends. (The letters HMS stand for His or Her Majesty’s Ship.)
Also in the 1800’s, the Royal Navy explored the Arctic and campaigned against the slave trade. It was around this time that iron and steel warships replaced wooden vessels. The Royal Navy also moved from wind power to steam, and from coal- to oil-burning engines.
In 1906, the Royal Navy launched HMS Dreadnought, the first modern battleship. In 1912, the Royal Naval Air Service was formed. The Royal Navy quickly expanded during World War I (1914-1918). British warships won an important victory over the Germans in the 1916 Battle of Jutland. Royal Navy ships also protected crucial merchant convoys (groups of ships traveling together) crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm began flying in 1924. 
During World War II (1939-1945), Royal Navy ships again escorted merchant convoys. British warships also fought German, Japanese, and Italian warships and aircraft around the world. Key engagements included the 1940 evacuation of Dunkerque, France, and the 1941 sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. The Royal Navy played a crucial role in the Allied invasions of North Africa (1942), Italy (1943), and France (1944). Late in the war, the Royal Navy’s British Pacific Fleet contributed to the Allied victory over Japan.
In the 1950’s, Royal Navy warships supported military operations in Egypt and Korea. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, British ships participated in a number of missions for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Royal Navy warships were key to the British victory over Argentina in the Falklands War of 1982. The Royal Navy also took part in the Persian Gulf War of 1991; a NATO blockade of Serbia in the late 1990’s; the Afghanistan War (2001-2021); and the Iraq War (2003-2011). British warships have been active in a number of relief missions in areas affected by wars and natural disasters. They also continue to fight drug trafficking and piracy around the world.
