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His (or Her) Majesty's Ship, abbreviated HMS and H.M.S., is the
ship prefix A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship that has historically served numerous purposes, such as identifying the vessel's mode of propulsion, purpose, or ownership/n ...
used for ships of the navy in some monarchies. Derived terms such as HMAS and equivalents in other languages such as SMS are used.


United Kingdom

With regard to the separate
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and Scottish navies of the medieval period and early modern era, historians usually use terms such as "English Ship" or "Scottish Ship". During the late 17th century, following the Restoration, the name Royal Navy was officially adopted, as well as the prefix His Majesty's Ship, and later, Her Majesty's Ship. The first recorded use of the abbreviated form HMS was in 1789, in respect of HMS ''Phoenix''. From 1707 to circa 1800 HBMS (for ''His Britannic Majesty's Ship'') was also used. Submarines in His Majesty's service also use the prefix HMS, standing for ''His Majesty's Submarine'', though this is sometimes rendered HMS/m. (See, for example
HMS/m ''Tireless''
at IWM). The Royal Yacht ''Britannia'', which was a commissioned ship in the Royal Navy, was known as HMY ''Britannia''. Otherwise all ships in the Royal Navy are known as HM Ships, though formerly when a distinction was made between three-masted ship-rigged ships and smaller vessels they would be called HM Frigate ''X'', or HM Sloop ''Y''. The prefix HMS is also used by shore establishments that are commissioned "
stone frigate A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. "Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04 ...
s" in the Royal Navy. Examples include HMS ''Excellent'', a training school located on an island in
Portsmouth Harbour Portsmouth Harbour is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically i ...
, and HMS ''Vulcan'', in
Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded ...
in the
Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
area of
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, which is established to test the design of
nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced ...
systems for use in submarines. The sample ship name used by the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
to signify a hypothetical vessel is . This ''is'' a name that has been used by the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
in the past; on the eve of World War II the name was given to the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
. HMCS ''Nonsuch'' was the "stone frigate" of the Edmonton Division of the Canadian Naval Reserve. Prefixing the name by "the", as in "the HMS Ark Royal", while common, is considered bad grammar. British government ships not in the Royal Navy have other designations, such as RFA for ships in the ''
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
''.


Commonwealth realms and former British Empire

Historically, variants on HMS have been used by the navies of British colonies. The practice is maintained in several
Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwea ...
s (states which recognise King
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
as their monarch).


Current

*
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world ...
: His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) / (french: Navire canadien de Sa Majesté ) (NCSM) –
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
* Australia: His Majesty's Australian Ship (HMAS) – Royal Australian Navy *
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...
: His Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) –
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...
*
Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
: His Majesty's Bahamian Ship (HMBS) –
Royal Bahamas Defence Force The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) is the military of The Bahamas. Since The Bahamas does not have an army or an air force, its navy composes the entirety of its armed forces. Under The Defence Act, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has been ...
*
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
: His Majesty's Papua New Guinean Ship (HMPNGS) -
Papua New Guinea Defence Force The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Papua New Guinea. It originated from the Australian Army land forces of the territory of Papua New Guinea before independence, coming into bei ...
Australian War Memorial Glossary
*
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispanio ...
: His Majesty's Jamaican Ship (HMJS) – Jamaica Defence Force *
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeas ...
: His Majesty's Tuvalu State Ship (HMTSS)


Former

*Colonial: Her Majesty's Colonial Ship (HMCS) * Australia: Commonwealth Naval Ship (CNS) *
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
: His Majesty's Burmese Ship (HMBS) *
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
: Her Majesty's Barbadian Ship (HMBS) – Barbados Defence Force *
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
: His Majesty's South African Ship (HMSAS) / ( af, Sy Majesteit se Suid-Afrikaanse Skip) (SMSA) - South African Navy *
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
: Her Majesty's Ceylon Ship (HMCyS) *
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consi ...
: Her Majesty's Fijian Ship (HMFS) *
India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
: His Majesty's Indian Ship (HMIS) *
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
(before the
federation of Australia The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western ...
): Her Majesty's Queensland Ship (HMQS) * Victoria (before the federation of Australia): Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (HMVS) *
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-la ...
: His Majesty's Pakistan Ship (HMPS)


Denmark

All Danish Navy ships carry the ship prefix KDM (''Kongelige Danske Marine'') in Danish, but this is translated to HDMS (''Her / His Danish Majesty's Ship'') in English.


Germany

(; German: ''His Majesty's Ship'', abbreviated to S.M.S. or SMS) was the
ship prefix A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship that has historically served numerous purposes, such as identifying the vessel's mode of propulsion, purpose, or ownership/n ...
used by the Prussian Maritime Enterprise (''Seehandlung''), the
Prussian Navy The Prussian Navy ( German: ''Preußische Marine''), officially the Royal Prussian Navy ( German: ''Königlich Preußische Marine''), was the naval force of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 to 1867. The Prussian Navy was created in 1701 from th ...
, the
Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Kais ...
(''Kaiserliche Marine'') and the
Austro-Hungarian Navy The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: Kaiserlich und königlich, kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the navy, naval force of ...
(''Kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine''). It was created by translating the British prefix into German. It was sometimes also abbreviated to S.M. or SM (for ''Seiner Majestät'') when a ship was mentioned by class, such as ''S.M. Kleiner Kreuzer Emden'' ("His Majesty's Light Cruiser Emden"). Special forms included *S.M.Y. (or SMY) = ''Seiner Majestät Yacht'' ("His Majesty's Yacht") for king's or emperor's
yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
*I.M.Y. = ''Ihrer Majestät Yacht'' ("Her Majesty's Yacht") for the queen's or empress's yacht. *S.M.F. = ''Seiner Majestät Feuerschiff'' ("His Majesty's Lightvessel") *S.M.H. = ''Seiner Majestät Hilfsschiff'' ("His Majesty's
Auxiliary Ship An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense. Auxil ...
") *S.M.W. = ''Seiner Majestät Werkstattschiff'' ("His Majesty's Workshop Ship") *S.M.U. = ''Seiner Majestät Unterseeboot'' ("His Majesty's Submarine", prefixing a number not a name)


Netherlands

International prefixes for ships of the
Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...
is HNLMS (''His/Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship''). The Netherlands navy itself uses the prefixes Zr.Ms. (''Zijner Majesteits'', ''His Majesty's'') when a king is on the throne, and Hr.Ms. (''Harer Majesteits'', ''Her Majesty's'') when there is a queen. This happens automatically at the moment of coronation.


Norway

The
Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...
vessels have since 1946 been given the
ship prefix A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship that has historically served numerous purposes, such as identifying the vessel's mode of propulsion, purpose, or ownership/n ...
KNM, short for ''K''ongelig ''N''orske ''M''arine (Royal Norwegian Navy). In
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
, they are given the prefix HNoMS, short for "''H''is/Her ''No''rwegian ''M''ajesty's ''S''hip" (HNMS could be also used for the
Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...
, for which HNLMS is used instead). Coast Guard vessels are given the prefix KV for ''K''yst''V''akt (Coast Guard) in Norwegian and NoCGV for ''No''rwegian ''C''oast ''G''uard ''V''essel in English.


Romania

Prior to World War II, the subsequent ousting of the monarchy of Romania on 30 December 1947 and post-war Soviet occupation, all Royal Romanian Navy vessels were given the prefix NMS which stands for ''Nava Majestăţii Sale'' which translates to ''His/her Majesty’s Ship'' in English.


Sweden

In the Royal Swedish Navy, all vessels are given the prefix HMS (''Hans'' or ''Hennes Majestäts Skepp''). This is true for both surface and submarine vessels.Ordbok: "H"
''Försvarsmakten''
Abroad, Swedish navy ships are sometimes given the prefix HSwMS (for ''His Swedish Majesty's Ship''), to avoid confusion with other uses of the HMS prefix.


See also

*See
ship prefix A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship that has historically served numerous purposes, such as identifying the vessel's mode of propulsion, purpose, or ownership/n ...
for a list *
Royal Mail Ship Royal Mail Ship (sometimes Steam-ship or Steamer), usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail. The designation dates back to 1840. Any vessel ...
(RMS) * :Ships of the Royal Navy * HM Prison (HMP) *
His Majesty's Young Offender Institution His Majesty's Young Offender Institution (or HMYOI) is a type of prison in Great Britain, intended for offenders aged up to 18, although some prisons cater for younger offenders from ages 15 to 17, who are classed as juvenile offenders. Typically t ...
(HMYOI) *
His Majesty's Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...
(HMG) *His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
*
United States Ship United States Ship (abbreviated as USS or U.S.S.) is a ship prefix used to identify a commissioned ship of the United States Navy and applies to a ship only while it is in commission. Before commissioning, the vessel may be referred to as a " p ...


References

{{Reflist Royal Navy Ship prefixes