HMS ''Diadem'' was the lead ship of the of

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of cruiser of the late 19th century, took their name from the armored deck, which protected vital machine-spaces from fragments released by explosive shells. Protected cruisers notably lacked a belt of armour alon ...

in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

Service history

''Diadem'' was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd at

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric: ''Gwovan''; Scots language, Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of southwest Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the sout ...

. She was laid down on 23 January 1896, and launched on 21 October 1896, when she was named by Lady Currie, wife of Castle Line shipowner Sir Donald Currie. She served in the Easter Division of the

Channel Squadron Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Australia in Queensland and pa ...

under the command of Captain Harry Seawell Niblett, and was briefly docked at Chatham in January 1900 to make good defects. In March 1901 ''Diadem'' was one of two cruisers to escort HMS , commissioned as royal yacht for the World tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

and Queen Mary), from

Spithead Spithead is an eastern area of the Solent and a roadstead for vessels off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast, with the Isle of Wight lying to the south-west. Spithead and the ch ...

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

, and in September the same year she again escorted the royal yacht from St Vincent to

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

. In January 1902 it was announced that she would be put out of commission due to ''"defects which will take some time to remedy"''. She was paid off at Chatham on 11 February 1902, and in May transported to

Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, was a Scottish shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Na ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

for repairs to her hull and machinery. She was back at Sheerness in early December 1902. The ship was reactivated and sent to China Station where ''Diadem'' became the flagship of the vice-admiral until 1907. The vessel then returned home and was paid off in April 1907. She was then assigned to the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

based at Portsmouth from 1907–1912 before transferring to the Third Fleet. The ship was refitted in 1909.''Conways'', p.11 ''Diadem'' served in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

with her sisters. In 1914 the vessel was used as a stokers' training ship, and was placed in reserve in October 1915. She was returned to being a stokers' training ship in January 1918, and survived the war to be sold to

Thos. W. Ward Thos. W. Ward Ltd was a Sheffield, Yorkshire, business primarily working steel, engineering and cement. It began as coal and coke merchants. It expanded into recycling metal for Sheffield's steel industry, and then the supply and manufacture ...

of Morecambe for breaking up on 9 May 1921.

Notes

References

* * Robert Gardiner (ed.) (1985). ''Conways All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921.'' London: Conway Maritime Press.
Diadem class at worldwar1.co.uk

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diadem (1898) Diadem-class cruisers Ships built on the River Clyde 1896 ships World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom