British Royal Navy

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For other uses, see Royal Navy (disambiguation)

British Royal Navy
General information
Leader	King George II
Notable members	Lawrence Norrington James Norrington Theodore Groves Gillette Mullroy Murtogg Hector Barbossa Joshamee Gibbs John Scarfield Henry Turner
Ships	HMS Dauntless HMS Interceptor HMS Endeavour HMS Providence Monarch Essex
Head­quarters	Great Britain London, England
Locations	Greenford Kingshead Oxbay Padres Del Fuego Port Royal, Jamaica Redmond Saint Martin
Other information
Affiliation	British Empire
Behind the scenes
First appearance	The Curse of the Black Pearl
Latest appearance	Dead Men Tell No Tales

"Pride of the King's Navy, you are."

―Jack Sparrow to Mullroy and Murtogg

The British Royal Navy, also known as the British armada, British Naval Fleet, British Navy, the English Navy, the King's Navy, His Majesty's Navy, or more commonly the Royal Navy, was the naval armed force and a component of the British Empire. Most notably under the reign of King George II as part of His Majesty's Navy, the Royal Navy also included the Royal Marines and was charged by the Crown with keeping peace, protecting the shipping lanes, and most important, capturing pirates. Unfortunately for the Crown, some Navy officers weren't as honest as perhaps they should be.

Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the British Royal Navy traced its origins to the early 16th century. From the middle decades of the 17th century, and through the 18th century, the British Navy vied with the Dutch Navy, the French Navy, and Spanish Navy for maritime supremacy as the world's most powerful navy. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing and defending the British Empire, as well as the Navy's ability to assert naval superiority globally.

At its height, the British Navy was the most powerful navy on the Seven Seas, primarily based in the Caribbean. The Caribbean was as corrupt as it was beautiful, and it has proven easy to grow lax so far from home. Instead of protecting civilians, many Navy officials extort gold under the pretense of "taxes" and generally oppress anyone they thought they could push around. Some officers and guards could be bribed, while others turn their heads when crimes were committed. But all Navy personnel were still formidable fighters in the King's name. As its influence grew in the Caribbean, the East India Trading Company employed Royal Navy marines and ships to escort its vessels and defend against any attacks.

History

Origin

"Welcome back to His Majesty's Navy, Master Gibbs!"

―Hector Barbossa to Joshamee Gibbs

The Royal Navy was established during the early 1700's when the English and Royal Scots Navies were unified into one organisation, although the two Navies operated together since the Union of the Crowns in the early 1600's. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Royal Navy fought in many battles against her French and Spanish counterparts. The Royal Navy was one of the key weapons in the creation of the British Empire, conquering new lands and establishing colonies for England in the Far East, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Piracy in the Caribbean

A battle between the Royal Navy and the Caribbean pirates.

"I think it'd be rather exciting to meet a pirate."
"Think again, Miss Swann. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag, or wears a pirate brand, gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop."

―Elizabeth Swann and James Norrington

Piracy was one of the largest problems for the Royal Navy and the East India Trading Company. During the times of war, the Royal Navy employed many pirates as privateers to harass the Spanish Treasure Fleets on behalf of England. But when the wars ended, the privateers found themselves unemployed, and many of them turned to piracy once again, mostly in the Caribbean Sea. The best officers, marines, and sailors of the Royal Navy were often sent to hunt down the most notorious pirates in the Caribbean. According to legend, the infamous pirate Blackbeard was beheaded by the Royal Navy during the battle of Ocracoke Inlet off the coast of North Carolina, before he swam three times around his ship and then climbed back onboard. Bartholomew Roberts was killed by the Navy in 1722 off the west coast of Africa.

Admiral Lawrence Norrington used the entire Royal Navy, along with some East India Trading Company ships, to pursue the notorious Captain Teague, the Keeper of the Code who was reputed to be the most wanted pirate on the Seven Seas. Fitzwilliam P. Dalton III, Lawrence's nephew, sailed with Jack Sparrow for about a year aboard the Barnacle before Dalton revealed he was a spy in order to capture both Sparrow and Teague for the Royal Navy of England. With the help of sailor Joshamee Gibbs, they were able to escape capture aboard Teague's ship, the Misty Lady. Lawrence's son, James Norrington, also served in the Royal Navy, from lieutenant to captain to commodore of the fleet. Many pirates were captured by Commodore Norrington's forces and hanged in Port Royal, Jamaica, until his failure in efforts to pursue Captain Jack Sparrow.

As its influence grew in the Caribbean, the East India Trading Company employed Royal Navy marines and ships to escort its vessels and defend against pirate attacks. By this point, as a result of his failures in the Royal Navy's pursuit of Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl, notably sailing the HMS Dauntless into a hurricane, James Norrington was decommissioned and dishonorably discharged from the British Navy. When given the opportunity to reclaim his status, James Norrington filled in Letters of Marque and gave the heart of Davy Jones to Lord Cutler Beckett, who reinstated Norrington into the Navy, promoted him to admiral, and given the Flying Dutchman to command. Lord Beckett's flagship, the HMS Endeavour, led the British Navy and East India Trading Company armada alongside the Dutchman, sailing to destroy the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court. However, after the sinking of the Endeavour by the Dutchman and the Pearl, these three hundred ships retreated.

Quest for the Fountain of Youth

Members of the Royal Navy at Whitecap Bay.

"Captain Barbossa, each second we tarry, the Spanish outdistance us. I have every confidence you will prevail and be rewarded with the high station you so desire."
"To serve doth suffice, Sire."

―King George II and Hector Barbossa

In 1750, King George II and his ministers would learn that King Ferdinand of Spain had located the Fountain of Youth. In an attempt to solve the issue of finding the Fountain, the King and the Royal Navy tried to enlist help from the notorious pirate Jack Sparrow, who had knowledge of the route to the Fountain. After the elusive pirate escaped St. James's Palace, a crew of the Royal Navy, led by the reformed pirate and privateer Hector Barbossa, participated in the quest for the Fountain in the King's behalf. Their mission was to find the Fountain before the Spanish crew did. Despite the assistance they received from Jack Sparrow, who rendezvous with Barbossa's crew on the island where the Fountain of Youth was located, the British ultimately failed their mission to secure the Fountain in the King's name. Almost all of Barbossa's crew was killed, while Barbossa himself returned to piracy.

Symbols

The White Ensign of the Royal Navy‎

"I am Don Carrera de la Vega. Why do you fly British colors?"
"That...is a stolen flag. Overcome with remorse, we are even now on our way to deliver it back."

―Carrera de la Vega and Jack Sparrow

The Royal Navy uses several symbols, so that her ship cannot be mistaken for merchant ships or ships of other navies. One of the emblems of the Royal Navy shows a shield with the British flag, two crosses, two ships and three Royal Crowns. The crowns represents the power of the English Monarch and the ships represents the power of the Navy. The Royal Navy flags includes the Blue Ensign, which is the flag of the "Blue Squadron", and White Ensign, which is the flag of the "White Squadron".

Royal Navy officer ranks

• Landsman
• Petty Officer
• Midshipman
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander
• Captain
• Commodore
• Admiral

Notable members

"Are we not King's men?"

―Hector Barbossa to the crew of the HMS Providence

Grogan Mullroy Murtogg Joshamee Gibbs Geoffrey Pain James White Hugh Brandish Carruthers Ian Ramjaw Sid Shiver Sam Sergeant Nathaniel Grimm Sergeant Bingham Ensign Grimm Ensign Gordon Greer Lieutenant Gillette Lieutenant Peter Blakeley Lieutenant Floyd Lieutenant John Scarfield Lieutenant Commander Theodore Groves

Captain of HMS Dauntless Captain Montrose Captain Swain Captain Gentry Captain Archer Captain Thorn Captain James Tollington Barts Captain Biggleton Captain Dennison Captain Hedley Captain Norman Captain Reginald Captain Oliver Randolph Pynce-Jones III Captain Hector Barbossa Captain Toms Admiral James Norrington Admiral Lawrence Norrington Admiral Bratton Admiral Simon

Notable vessels

The HMS Goliath, pride of the Royal Navy

HMS Achilles HMS Adventure HMS Century HMS Dauntless HMS Endeavour HMS Hound HMS Hyena HMS Goliath HMS Invincible HMS Interceptor HMS Newcastle HMS Peregrine HMS Phoenix HMS Providence HMS Resistance HMS Rose HMS Trapassey HMS Victor HMS Victory

RMS Manowar Lawrence Norrington's ship Pride of London Colossus Man O' War Vanguard Bulwark Centurion Panther Kingfisher Predator Albion Greyhound Ferret Dreadnaught Elite

Behind the scenes

"You pirates think you can challenge us? We're the British Navy - and we control the seas."

―Admiral Scarfield to Jack Sparrow

• The British Royal Navy first appeared in the 2003 video game Pirates of the Caribbean. The British Royal Navy was mostly referred to as the "Royal Navy", which became the more common name used throughout the Pirates franchise, having first been identified in junior novelization for the first film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Jack Sparrow spoke the name "King's Navy" and the Town Clerk spoke the name "British Royal Navy" during Sparrow's execution in the final cut of the film. The names "British Naval Fleet" and "British armada" were first used in the film's production notes. "British Navy" was first identified, though sometimes with "navy" being lower-cased, in behind-the-scenes material for The Curse of the Black Pearl, and more officially in the Disney Adventures comic Enter... the Scarecrow! as well as various Dead Man's Chest material. The name "English Navy" was used in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide and The Complete Visual Guide. "His Majesty's Navy" first appeared in the novel The Price of Freedom.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's screenplay for Dead Man's Chest, the H.M.S. ENDEAVOR was identified as one of the Royal Navy ships anchored in a line across the harbor of Port Royal. However, the Endeavour, as correctly spelled in other media, was not identified nor classified as such onscreen.
• In Terry Rossio's 2012 screenplay draft for Dead Men Tell No Tales, the British Navy forces commanded by Admiral John Benbow engaged the Spanish forces in the Caribbean during the Seven Years' War. The story also featured the HMS Bonaventure and the HMS Gloucester, with the Bonaventure was described as "the Flagship of the Royal Navy" by Pintel and Ragetti. Though the Spanish leader, Queen Inez Luisa Gabriella di Savoia, managed to get her hands on the legendary Trident of Neptune, the British won the final battle, defeating their opponents.
• In Jeff Nathanson's 2013 early screenplay draft of the Dead Men Tell No Tales script the Silent Mary was a British warship, not Spanish. Sixteen years before the events of the film, during a battle with the Spanish Royal Navy, the Mary's captain, John Brand, lost his brother, Eric, who was saved by the crew of the Black Pearl and eventually became a pirate himself. The Mary attacked Eric's ship, and Brand unknowingly killed his own brother, causing him to vow revenge on Jack Sparrow. Sparrow then set a trap for Brand in the cursed waters of the Devil's Triangle, which resulted in Brand and his whole crew dying and becoming restless spirits. Sixteen years later, Admiral Scarfield led the British forces from Port Royal in a hunt for Jack Sparrow, but Scarfield's ship was destroyed by Brand's army of ghosts in the Devil's Triangle.
• In real-world history, the first uniform regulations for officers of the Royal Navy were issued in 1748. In the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, the Royal Navy officers already wear standard uniforms during the 1720s.
• The British Royal Navy was meant to appear in Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, a video game which was scheduled to be released in 2011. But since that game was cancelled, it is unknown if its appearance in the game is canon or not.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 video game)
• Jack Sparrow: The Sword of Cortés
• Jack Sparrow: The Timekeeper (Mentioned only)
• Jack Sparrow: Sins of the Father
• Jack Sparrow: Poseidon's Peak (Mentioned only)
• Jack Sparrow: Bold New Horizons (Mentioned only)
• Jack Sparrow: The Tale of Billy Turner and Other Stories
• The Price of Freedom (Mentioned only) (First identified as His Majesty's Navy)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First identified as King's Navy and British Royal Navy)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 junior novelization) (First appearance) (First identified as Royal Navy)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006 junior novelization)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (comic)
• The Guardians of Windward Cove (Mentioned only)
• The Accidental Pirate! (Mentioned only)
• Enter... the Scarecrow! (First identified as British Navy)
• The Lost Sea
• The Black Heart of the Pearl
• Pirates of the Caribbean Online
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (junior novelization)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization)
• The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Movie Graphic Novel

Non-canon appearances

• A Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• Disney Infinity

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide (First identified as English Navy)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide

External links

• Royal Navy on Wikipedia