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This forum is devoted to the Royal Navy during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793 - 1815).
And why not the other navies of the period?
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Royal Navy v. British Navy
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Langstone



Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 13
Location: England

Post Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:32 am    Post subject: Royal Navy v. British Navy Reply with quote

As this new forum will be about the Royal Navy and navies of other countries in 1793-1815, I thought I would ask what people out there think of the use of the term British Navy as opposed to Royal Navy? Many eminent naval historians today use both terms, and both terms were used by writers of the time, including those serving in the navy. Why I am asking is that last year I came across a reviewer who was greatly angered by the use of 'British Navy' as opposed to 'Royal Navy'. Does it matter? What surely matters is that everyone understands what is being said? And when an article or book is aimed at a worldwide audience, isn't it preferable to use the term British Navy, to avoid any confusion?
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David H



Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 5

Post Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:48 pm    Post subject: Rn vs British Navy Reply with quote

The proper name for the service is of course the Royal Navy, and probably should be used in preference to British Navy - but I have no problem with the use of that term rather than Royal Navy. The reviewer who complained will presumably also object if the pre-1793 French Navy is not always referred to as the Marine Royal and the Dutch Navy as the Koninklijke Marine ??

Writers throughout the 19th century regularly used the term - Brassey compiled a 5 volume work entitled 'The British Navy' in the 1880's - apparently without complaint.
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PMarione
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Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 883

Post Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In French, you find "Royal Navy" (as it) to make the différence with the pre-revolutionary "Marine Royale".
"Marine française" et "Marine anglaise" are very often used too, but not often "Marine britannique" which the exact translation of British Navy. Probably because it's more difficult to write.
But why the British Navy is not called "United Kingdom's Navy" after 1801?
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David H



Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 5

Post Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:10 pm    Post subject: Royal Navy vs British Navy Reply with quote

Why British rather than United Kingdom Navy? I would think because it is easier to say and write British rather than United Kingdom; also the term British is used to include all the nations of the UK (i.e. English, Scots, Welsh and [in 1801] the Irish)
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Devenish



Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 4

Post Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:39 am    Post subject: Royal navy vs. British Navy Reply with quote

As my first post on this new site, I should first like to thank Patrick in his endeavour to widen the scope of discussion to all the navies of the Napoleanic Wars and its good to see posts from old friends.

As to this actual question, I think I have to agree with David H. when he says that the British Navy should be known by its proper title, the Royal Navy. Like him, I can understand that people from other countries use British Navy and would think that hardly anybody would have serious problems with this term either. In actual fact in modern times the terms are used side by side in the British media, although in the International news the term British Navy would seem to be more frequent and perhaps more appropriate.

However, the prefix 'Royal' surely depends on whether a country has a monarchy or not. Thus there is today for example, a Royal Swedish Navy, a Royal Norwegian Navy and a Royal Danish Navy to name a few, since these countries have monarchies. Britain hasn't chosen to do this when naming its Navy, although I have seen British Royal Navy in some contexts, and I suppose the reasons for that can be many!
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tonybb



Joined: 09 Apr 2007
Posts: 13
Location: UK

Post Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find myself using "British Navy" quite a lot, especially in web forums international in their nature. It seems a bit presumptuous to assume no other country has a royal navy! (which wouldn't be The Royal Navy, of course) But all that has been subconscious - I haven't really thought about it before.

As for the United Kingdom Navy - we Brits are very confused about what Britain consists of! Great Britain does not include Northern Ireland, whereas the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of course does. But then we have a British team at the Olympics, etc! And who in Ireland would call themselves British is a rather political question!
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Peter



Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Posts: 105
Location: Gosport, Hampshire

Post Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:45 am    Post subject: Royal Navy Reply with quote

The words Royal Navy clearly define it as the fighting arm of Britain's maritime navy.

British Navy could be mistaken for the merchant navy.
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tonybb



Joined: 09 Apr 2007
Posts: 13
Location: UK

Post Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nelson used the term "British Navy" in his letters - I think more often than the term "Royal Navy".

Collingwood used "British Navy" in his Trafalgar dispatch :"...I have not only to lament, in common with the British Navy, and the British Nation, in the Fall of the Commander in Chief, the Loss of a Hero, whose Name will be immortal, and his Memory ever dear to his Country..."

The Duke of Clarence used "British Navy" in a letter to Nelson, so even the royal family didn't worry about it.

Good enough for me.
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