HMS Majestic in the Channel

HMS Majestic represents the pre-dreadnought era of British naval power, a moment when armoured battleships ruled the seas, yet momentarily to be replaced by rapidly emerging new designs that were about to transform naval warfare.

Launched in 1895, HMS Majestic was one of the final battleships built before HMS Dreadnought's 1906 commissioning rendered all previous battleships essentially obsolete overnight. She carried the characteristic Victorian Royal Navy livery: a gleaming black hull contrasting sharply with white-painted superstructure with yellow funnels and masts before this was all replaced by a flat grey.

As part of the Channel Fleet, Majestic represented the visible power of the British Empire during the height of the Edwardian era. Yet the ship was soon relegated to secondary duties after the launch of Dreadnought. She served until 1915, when she was sunk by a German U-boat off Cape Helles during the Dardanelles Campaign.

This painting captures Majestic in her prime, wearing the Victorian colour scheme and sailing the Channel. Signed GS and dated 2020 in the lower right.