His Majesty's Ship facts for kids
His (or Her) Majesty's Ship, often shortened to HMS, is a special title given to naval ships in countries that have a king or queen. It's like a special code that tells you the ship belongs to the monarch's navy. Other similar titles exist, like HMAS for Australian ships.
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Many countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations use ship prefixes similar to HMS. These countries often have the King or Queen of the UK as their head of state.
Long ago, in the Middle Ages, ships were simply called "English Ship" or "Scottish Ship." But in the late 1600s, the name Royal Navy was officially adopted. This is when ships started being called His Majesty's Ship, or Her Majesty's Ship if a queen was ruling. The short form, HMS, first appeared in 1789.
Submarines in the Royal Navy also use the HMS prefix. For them, it means His Majesty's Submarine. Sometimes, you might see it written as HMS/m. Even the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was a special ship for the Royal Family, was known as HMY Britannia.
The Royal Navy also calls its land-based training centers "HMS." These are like "stone frigates" because they are treated like ships, even though they are on land. For example, HMS Excellent is a training school in Portsmouth Harbour.
The Royal Navy sometimes uses the name HMS Nonsuch as an example for a made-up ship. This name has been used for real ships in the past.
It's important to know that saying "the HMS Ark Royal" is not correct grammar. You should just say "HMS Ark Royal."
Other British government ships that are not part of the Royal Navy have different titles. For instance, ships in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary use RFA.
Other Commonwealth Countries
Many countries that were once part of the British Empire or are still in the Commonwealth use their own versions of HMS.
Current Ship Prefixes
- Canada: His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS)
- Australia: His Majesty's Australian Ship (HMAS)
- New Zealand: His Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS)
- Bahamas: His Majesty's Bahamian Ship (HMBS)
- Papua New Guinea: His Majesty's Papua New Guinean Ship (HMPNGS)
- Jamaica: His Majesty's Jamaican Ship (HMJS)
- Tuvalu: His Majesty's Tuvalu State Ship (HMTSS)
Past Ship Prefixes
Some countries used these prefixes in the past:
- Colonial: Her Majesty's Colonial Ship (HMCS)
- Burma: His Majesty's Burmese Ship (HMBS)
- Barbados: Her Majesty's Barbadian Ship (HMBS)
- South Africa: His Majesty's South African Ship (HMSAS)
- Ceylon: Her Majesty's Ceylon Ship (HMCyS)
- Fiji: Her Majesty's Fijian Ship (HMFS)
- India: His Majesty's Indian Ship (HMIS)
- Queensland: Her Majesty's Queensland Ship (HMQS)
- Victoria: Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (HMVS)
- Pakistan: His Majesty's Pakistan Ship (HMPS)
Other countries in Europe also use similar ship prefixes for their royal navies.
Ships of the Danish Navy use the prefix KDM in Danish. In English, this is translated to HDMS, which means Her / His Danish Majesty's Ship.
In Germany, especially during the time of the German Empire, ships used the prefix S.M.S. or SMS. This stood for Seiner Majestät Schiff, which means His Majesty's Ship in German. This prefix was used by the Imperial German Navy and the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
Sometimes, shorter forms like S.M. or SM were used. There were also special forms for different types of ships:
- S.M.Y. (or SMY) = His Majesty's Yacht
- I.M.Y. = Her Majesty's Yacht
- S.M.F. = His Majesty's Lightvessel (a ship that acts like a lighthouse)
- S.M.H. = His Majesty's Auxiliary Ship (a ship that helps other ships)
- S.M.W. = His Majesty's Workshop Ship
- S.M.U. = His Majesty's Submarine
For ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the international prefix is HNLMS, meaning His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship. The Dutch navy itself uses Zr.Ms. (Zijner Majesteits) when a king is on the throne. If there is a queen, they use Hr.Ms. (Harer Majesteits). This change happens automatically when a new monarch is crowned.
Since 1946, vessels of the Royal Norwegian Navy have used the prefix KNM. This stands for Kongelig Norske Marine (Royal Norwegian Navy) in Norwegian. In English, they are called HNoMS, meaning "His/Her Norwegian Majesty's Ship." Coast Guard vessels in Norway use KV in Norwegian and NoCGV in English.
Before World War II and the end of the monarchy in 1947, ships of the Royal Romanian Navy used the prefix NMS. This meant Nava Majestăţii Sale, which translates to His/Her Majesty’s Ship in English.
In the Royal Swedish Navy, all vessels use the prefix HMS. This stands for Hans or Hennes Majestäts Skepp, meaning His or Her Majesty's Ship. This applies to both surface ships and submarines.
To avoid confusion with other navies that use HMS, Swedish navy ships are sometimes called HSwMS (for His Swedish Majesty's Ship) when spoken about internationally.
Images for kids
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Seal of the Imperial German Navy (1871–1919) - Kommando S.M.S. Braunschweig
_-_Kommando_S.M.S._Braunschweig_-_Bild_002.jpg)
See also
- See ship prefix for a list
- Royal Mail Ship (RMS)
- HM Prison (HMP)
- His Majesty's Young Offender Institution (HMYOI)
- His Majesty's Government (HMG)
- His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London
- United States Ship
