Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Royal Navy was formally founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, when he established a standing "Navy Royal" with its own secretariat, dockyards, and a permanent core of purpose-built warships. England had possessed less-organised naval forces for centuries before this, but 1546 marks the formal origin of the institution.
The Royal Navy is called the Senior Service because it is the oldest of the United Kingdom's armed forces, with formal origins dating to 1546. The title reflects its precedence over the British Army and the Royal Air Force.
As of December 2025, the Royal Navy has 63 active and commissioned ships, including submarines and one historic ship. An additional 9 ships serve with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and four Point-class sealift ships from the Merchant Navy are available under a private finance initiative.
The Royal Navy operates two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Queen Elizabeth entered service in 2020, and Prince of Wales was declared operational in October 2021. Each carrier cost £3.2 billion and is designed to operate the F-35B Lightning II aircraft.
The Royal Navy entered World War II in 1939 as the world's largest fleet, with over 1,400 vessels. Its most critical task was the Battle of the Atlantic, defending North American supply lines against German U-boat wolf packs. At Taranto, Admiral Cunningham led the first all-aircraft naval attack in history, and the navy provided essential cover during the evacuation from Dunkirk.
The Royal Navy operates four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines armed with Trident II missiles to carry out Operation Relentless, the United Kingdom's Continuous At Sea Deterrent. The government has committed to replacing these submarines with four new boats entering service in the early 2030s.