Royal Navy Collection

HMS Conqueror submarine returns to Faslane Holy Loch after sinking Argentine battleship General Belgrano South Atlantic Falklands War, July 1982

HMS Endurance
The Royal Navys Antarctic Survey Vessel HMS Endurnace during her patrol of the Antarctic Peninsula early in 2007

Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate HMS Argyll
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll is pictured at the end of Exercise Goalkeeper in the Middle East. Based in Plymouth, HMS Argyll is the longest-serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy

HMS Queen Elizabeth sails into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time
Pictured is Britains future flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time

HMS Ark Royal is pictured operating off the coast of the UK. The Portsmouth based carrier was undergoing the next phase of her workup in becoming the Nations Strike Carrier in 2010

Royal Navy Ships HMS Invincible Aircraft Carrier sailing in the Northern Atlantic October 1985

The Speedy and El Gamo, c1802. Artist: Nicholas Pocock
The Speedy and El Gamo, c1802. Commanded by Lord Cochrane (1775-1860), the British brig HMS Speedy captured the much larger Spanish frigate Gamo off Barcelona on 6 May 1801

A Fleet Air Arm Sea Harrier prepares to take off from the flight deck of HMS Invincible October 1985

HMS Eagle The Royal Navy

HMS Flying Fox EAW033316
HMS Flying Fox (Royal Naval Reserve) moored off Hotwell Road, Bristol. Photographed by Aerofilms Ltd in October 1950

HMS Invincible Returns from the Falklands in 1982
HMS Invincible returns to massive celebrations following the Falklands Conflict in 1982

HMS Valiant was one of five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships seen here approaching Devonport dockyard prior to the second world war. Circa 1937

HMS Bulwark, August 1957

Nuclear Submarine HMS Vanguard Returns to HMNB Clyde, Scotland
Nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard arrives back at HM Naval Base Clyde, Faslane, Scotland following a patrol

HMS Eagle with aircraft on deck

HMS Bulwark
Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopters of 845 Squadron approach HMS Bulwark, 1 August 1957

Fairey Swordfish I of 820 Squadron over HMS Ark Royal, 1939

HMS Illustrious, 1942
Illustrious class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, 1942

Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious Returns To Portsmouth Folllowing Refit
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious is escorted by tugs as she returns to Portsmouth following her refit in Scotland

Westland Whirlwinds on HMS Bulwark
Westland Whirlwind helicopters of 845 Squadron on HMS Bulwark, 1 August 1957

HMS Implacable, February 1950
HMS Implacable in Weymouth Bay, February 1950

HMS Superb is pictured with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background

HMS Dragons Lynx Helicopter Firing Flares
HMS Dragons Lynx helicopter fires infra red flares during an exercise over the Type 45 destroyer

Flags used for Nelsons famous signal at the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. The flags used by Lieutenant Pasco aboard HMS Victory to send the message England expects that every man will do his duty

HMS Ajax, 1936
Leander Class Cruiser HMS Ajax at Alexandria, 1936

HMS Hood, the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy
March 17, 1924 - HMS Hood, the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy

HMS Indomitable, 1943
HMS Indomitable at its moorings with another aircraft carrier in the distance

HMS Ark Royal, February 1954

HMS Terror trapped in the Ice
" Vintage engraving from 1878 showing HMS Terror trapped in the Ice

Royal Navy Merlin Helicopter
A Royal Navy Merlin helicopter taking part in an exercise over the south of England. Merlin Mk1 the worlds most potent submarine hunting helicopter

HMS Barham, 1937
Queen Elizabeth Class battleship HMS Barham under way

Royal Navy Harrier Jet High Over RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus
LA(Phot) Luis Holden won the Navy News Award in the 2011 Peregrine Trophy Photographic Competition with this image

Cutty Sark and HMS Worcester EPW061029
Greenhithe, Kent. The Cutty Sark tea clipper and HMS Worcester berthed outside Ingress Abbey (the Incorporated Thames Nautical Training College). Photographed in May 1939 by Aerofilms Ltd

HMS Repulse
Renown Class battleship HMS Repulse

HMS Egret
Egret Class sloop HMS Egret

HMS Ocean at sea
Pictured is HMS OCEAN, the Royal Navys Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) and Fleet Flagship. She is pictured with Merlin and Chinook Helicopters on her deck

HMS Vigilant
Royal Navy Vanguard Class submarine HMS Vigilant returning to HMNB Clyde after her extended deployment. The four Vanguard-class submarines form the UKs strategic nuclear deterrent force

HMS Ambush
Astute class submarine HMS Ambush is pictured during sea trials near Scotland

HMS Nelson
Nelson Class Battleship HMS Nelson

HMS Solebay
Battle Class destroyer HMS Solebay

HMS Indomitable, 1943
HMS Indomitable with a Supermarine Seafire Mk. IIC flying overhead, 1943

Type 23 frigate HMS KENT at Sea, south of the Isle of Wight
Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigate HMS KENT at Sea, south of the Isle of Wight. HMS Kent is one of the newest of the Type 23 frigates within the Royal Navy arsenal

HMS VIGILANT. Nuclear powered Trident Submarine. CLYDE AREA OF SCOTLAND. 03 / 04 / 1996
HMS Vigilant. This Trident Submarine is a Nuclear powered vessel contributing to NATOs nuclear deterrent. It is an advanced, high speed, long endurance underwater sub

Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, 1798-1799. Artist: Lemuel Francis Abbott
Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, 1798-1799. Probably the most famous portrait of Nelson, painted after his victory at the Battle of the Nile, from an earlier sketch

HMS Broadsword receiving fuel
Weapon Class destroyer HMS Broadsword receiving fuel from HMS Implacable

HMS Newcastle, Weymouth, 1939
Town Class cruiser HMS Newcastle

HMS Devonshire, 1936
County Class Cruiser HMS Devonshire in the Mediterranean, 1936

HMS Courageous, 1932
HMS Courageous at Gibraltar, 1932

Chatham Dockyard EAW223251
Chatham Docks, Chatham, from the north-east, showing Rochester and the Thames. A number of vessels are in the naval dockyard. Photographed by Aerofilms Ltd in April 1972

Hawker Sea Hawk FGA. 6
Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 (XE375) of 898 Squadron on the deck of HMS Ark Royal, circa 1955

HMS Cleopatra
Dido Class cruiser HMS Cleopatra

HMS Cadiz
Battle Class destroyer HMS Cadiz

HMS Implacable and HMS Vengeance, February 1950
HMS Implacable and HMS Vengeance in Weymouth Bay, February 1950

HMS Valiant, March 1931
Queen Elizabeth Class battleship HMS Valiant at Gibraltar, March 1931, with Fairey IIIF on stern catapult

HMS Glorious, 1936
HMS Glorious in the Mediterranean, with Fairey IIIF aircraft on deck, 1936

Ships Royal Nany Aircraft Carrier HMS Victorious 1959 Royal Navy. Aircraft Carrier HMS Victorious with her complement of Scimitars and Sea Venoms on her deck © Mirrorpix

Sunset over the Hard and HMS Warrior, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Battle of Lake Erie, War of 1812
British and American ships engaged in the Battle of Lake Erie, 1813. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Captain Cook killed by Hawaiian natives, 1779
Death of English explorer Captain James Cook in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), 1779. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a painting

Fairey Swordfish I aircraft of 810 Sqn with Grumman Martlets in the background, HMS Illustrious, 1942

HMS Ocean, 11 August 1945
Colossus Class aircraft carrier HMS Ocean

HMS Eagle, 1951

Aircraft HMS Ark Royal Fleet Air Arm. McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG1 (F-4K
Aircraft HMS Ark Royal Fleet Air Arm

Hms Queen Elizabeth Leaves Portsmouth for Helicopter Trials
HMS Queen Elizabeth (accompanied by her support craft), sailing from her home in Portsmouth for the first time since being officially commissioned into the Royal Navy in December

Vanguard-class submarine HMS Victorious
Pictured is the Vanguard-class submarine HMS Victorious

Royal Navy Submarine HMS Astute Returns to HMNB Clyde
HMS Astute returned home on Thursday, March 1 after a 142 day deployment to America. It was also a voyage of discovery

Royal Navy Submarine HMS Triumph Enters HMNB Clyde
Trafalgar Class submarine SSN (Ship Submersible Nuclear) HMS Triumph, glides into HM Naval Base Clyde in the early morning sun following a patrol

Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate HMS Sutherland with a Merlin Helicopter Overhead
A Merlin helicopter flies over Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Sutherland during a Maritime Combat Power Visit (MCPV) in the Solent

Royal Navy Submarine HMS Splendid
Swiftsure class submarine HMS Splendid is pictured off Scotland in 1995

Wessex helicopter winching up survivior in rescue from sea

The crew of HMS Sportsman pose on the deck of their submarine at a un-named Northern depot

Britains future flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed into her home port of Portsmouth
Pictured is Britains future flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth as she sailed into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time

HMS Victorious
Royal Navy submarine HMS Victorious departs HMNB Clyde under the Scottish summer sunshine to conduct continuation training

HMS Ambush Arriving at HMNB Clyde
Ambush, the second of the Royal Navys potent new Astute Class attack submarines, sails into Her Majestys Naval Base Clyde in September 2012 to begin sea trials

HMS Ark Royal Visits HMNB Clyde for the Final Time
The Royal Navys mighty HMS Ark Royal visits HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland for the last time

HMS Manchester
Royal Navy Type 42 destroyer HMS Manchester is pictured operating in the Atlantic Ocean near Gibraltar. HMS Manchester is the third ship to bear the name and was launched on the 24 November 1980

British battleship HMS King George V, Sydney, Australia, 1945. King George V after arriving from Tokyo where she had been present at the surrender of Japan

Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, 1798-1799, (c1920). Artist: Henry Bone
Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, 1798-1799, (c1920). Portrait of Nelson after his victory at the Battle of the Nile

Royal Navy recruitment vintage advertising poster

COOK: HMS RESOLUTION. Commanded by Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages of discovery. Watercolor by Midshipman Henry Roberts, a member of the ships company

HMS Anson during passing out trials in the North Sea. June 1942

"Home again"pictures of the Royal Many submarine HMS Unrivalled which
" Home again" pictures of the Royal Many submarine HMS Unrivalled which has just returned from a successful patrol in the Mediterranean Sea

The Renown, the Ark Royal, and the Sheffield, c1939-1941, (1942). Creator: Unknown
The Renown, the Ark Royal, and the Sheffield, c1939-1941, (1942). " Out To Sea and Into The Sky"

HMS Sutherland monitors Russian warship as it sails through UK waters
Pictured is HMS Sutherland, seen here in the foreground, escorting the Russian Yaroslav Mudry, seen in the background. The Yaroslav Mudry is a Neustrashimy-class frigate

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"150 Years of Excellence: The Royal Navy's Proud Legacy" From the historic HMS Bulwark to the triumphant return of HMS Invincible from the Falklands in 1982, the Royal Navy has always been at the forefront of maritime power. With iconic vessels like HMS Eagle and its mighty presence on the seas, their strength is unmatched. The flags that fluttered during Nelson's famous signal at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 symbolize a rich history of bravery and determination. These colors still inspire sailors today as they proudly serve under them. During World War II, HMS Illustrious stood tall amidst chaos, proving her mettle time and again. She became a beacon of hope for all who witnessed her might. And let us not forget about HMS Ark Royal, a true force to be reckoned with. In 1936, it was aboard HMS Ajax that courage shone through as she valiantly fought against adversity. This vessel showcased unwavering dedication to duty and honor. The Westland Whirlwinds gracefully taking off from HMS Bulwark remind us that innovation is key in naval warfare. The ever-evolving technology ensures our fleet remains ahead of its adversaries. HMS Superb stands tall among her peers - an embodiment of excellence within the Royal Navy's ranks. Her name resonates with pride throughout every sailor's heart. Witnessing royal navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious returning to Portsmouth after a refit fills one with awe and admiration for those who maintain these magnificent vessels' operational readiness year after year. High above RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus soars a Royal Navy Harrier Jet – an emblematic representation of precision and skill possessed by our brave aviators who protect our skies day in and day out. As we reflect upon these remarkable moments throughout history, we are reminded that behind each vessel lies countless stories filled with heroism, sacrifice, camaraderie, and resilience.