By the end of the Second World War, Britain’s Royal Navy was at the peak of its powers, emerging victorious despite immense adversity in the Pacific, Mediterranean and Atlantic theatres. However, this supremacy on the waves was followed by a period of gradual decline as the huge demands of the global conflict disappeared. This watershed moment for the navy coincided with the start of a new era for the nation, with the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the following seven decades, the Royal Navy underwent a huge amount of change, transitioning from author and maritime historian Dr Paul Brown retraces the story of the navy – here he shares the stories of seven famous vessels, one from each decade of service to Elizabeth II.
