Royal Navy

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 27 August 2025.

"First time facing off against the British fleet, is it? You're in for a hell of a time, captain. These are far more disciplined and capable foes than the rabble we've grown used to!"

―Edward Kenway to Mustafa, 1725.

Royal Navy
Organizational information
Leader's title	Monarch of the British Empire (formerly) Prime Minister and Monarch of the United Kingdom
Operational center	Whitehall, London, England
Locations	Britain British America (Industrial era) British Empire (Industrial – Modern era)

The Royal Navy is a maritime combat force and branch of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain, alongside the British Army and, later, the Royal Air Force.

For much of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, it was one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as a great power, and patrolling its colonial waters.

History

Golden Age of Piracy

Many of those who would later join a life of piracy during the early 18th century, such as Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Kenway, and Edward Thatch, had served in the Royal Navy as privateers, until the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended hostilities between Britain and Spain. Following the conversion of most privateers into pirates, they frequently targeted the vessels of the Spanish Navy, and occasionally the Royal Navy, throughout the West Indies.

Besides the Americas, the Royal Navy also patrolled the waters of Britain's other overseas territories, including those in East and Southeast Asia. In 1725, Alan Jacob, a high-ranking East India Company executive and secret Templar Grand Master, was given command of a British fleet, which he used in his search for Pieces of Eden in the region.

In the 1730s, Great Britain was at war with France, and their navies would often clash near Saint Domingue, a French colony. The Assassin Adéwalé occasionally attacked Royal Navy vessels to prevent them from sinking French slave ships during this time.

Seven Years' War

During the Seven Years' War, the Royal Navy fought the French Navy throughout the North Atlantic and European waters. In the early stages of the war, the British suffered heavy losses and setbacks at the hands of the French, especially during a disastrous battle near St. John's where the British lost a Man O' War and several brigs to the French. As a result, British naval strength was weakened while the French controlled a number of forts and settlements throughout the North Atlantic. By 1756, several Royal Navy ships patrolled the seas but were vastly outnumbered by the French.

Royal Navy ships during the Battle of Louisbourg

Following Shay Cormac's defection from the Assassins to the Templars, the tide of the war changed and the Royal Navy quickly regained its strength. All forts and settlements under French control in the North Atlantic and the River Valley were captured by Shay, allowing the British to gain a foothold in Canada. Later, British ships under the command of Generals Jeffery Amherst, Charles Lawrence, Edward Whitmore and Colonel James Wolfe besieged the French fortress of Louisbourg, where the Royal Navy officer James Cook lent Shay the use of his Man O' War, the HMS Pembroke.

Thanks to Shay's efforts, the Royal Navy was victorious and captured Louisbourg, marking a turning point in the war. Over the next few years, the British secured additional victories, including at the Battle of Quiberon Bay, where they again received help from Shay and his sloop-of-war, the Morrigan. By the end of the war in 1763, the Royal Navy had come to dominate the North Atlantic, as well as other parts of the world such as Manila and Java, thanks to the Templars' interference through Shay's personal fleet.

American Revolution

Royal Navy ships during the Battle of the Chesapeake

During the American Revolutionary War, the Royal Navy was responsible for the transportation of Loyalist troops to and from the theatre of war, and played a significant part in the final outcome of the conflict.

During the Battle of the Chesapeake, a British fleet under the command of Sir Thomas Graves was engaged and strategically defeated by a French fleet led by Admiral de Grasse, supported by an Assassin vessel, the Aquila. The ship also participated in several smaller campaigns against the British up and down the colonial coastline.

Notable warships

Below is a list of notable Royal Navy warships, not including privateer vessels:

• Devil's Due
• Hercules
• HMS Courage
• HMS Defiance
• HMS Drake
• HMS Fearless
• HMS Intrigue
• HMS Jersey
• HMS Pembroke (1710)
• HMS Pembroke (1757)
• HMS Prince
• HMS Vulture
• King George
• Leviathan
• Morrigan
• Prospector
• Royal Sovereign
• Wanderer
• Windermere

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed III (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
  • Freedom Cry
• Assassin's Creed: Pirates
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue
• Assassin's Creed: Conspiracies (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
  • Dead Men's Gold
  • Caribbean Sea, 1713 CE
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
• Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (mentioned in Database entry only)