Her Majesty's Ship facts for kids

HMS is a short way of saying Her Majesty's Ship. It's a special title given to ships that belong to the Royal Navy, which is the navy of the United Kingdom. This title has been used for Royal Navy ships since 1789.

What Does HMS Mean?

The letters HMS stand for "Her Majesty's Ship." This is a prefix (a word or letters placed before a name) that is officially put in front of the names of all ships in the Royal Navy. It shows that the ship belongs to the British monarch (the King or Queen).

A Long History

The use of "HMS" as a ship prefix started way back in 1789. Before that, ships sometimes used "His Majesty's Ship" or "Her Majesty's Ship" depending on whether a King or Queen was ruling. Making it official in 1789 helped to clearly identify all ships of the Royal Navy.

HMS Around the World

Many countries that are part of the Commonwealth still use a similar system. These are countries where the British monarch is still considered the head of state. For example, ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy use the prefix HMNZS, which stands for "Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship."

Other Ship Prefixes

Just like the Royal Navy has "HMS," other navies and shipping companies around the world use their own special prefixes. For instance, RMS stands for "Royal Mail Ship." This prefix is used for ships that officially carry mail for the United Kingdom. Almost all countries have a system of prefixes for their ships to show what kind of ship it is or who it belongs to.

Images for kids

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  Seal of the Imperial Navy - (Mirrored) - Kommando S.M.S. Braunschweig