Navy chiefs rename HMS Agincourt submarine to appease French

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Former ministers condemn ‘woke nonsense’ after decision to remove name recalling one of England’s greatest military victories



Royal Navy chiefs have come under fire for dropping plans to name a new attack submarine after the Battle of Agincourt, in which England defeated France.

The seventh and final Astute-class submarine was to be called HMS Agincourt, but it will now be named HMS Achilles instead.

Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary, said the name change was “nothing short of sacrilege” amid speculation it may have been undertaken because of a fear of offending the French government.

Sir Gavin Williamson, the then defence secretary, announced in 2018 that the Ministry of Defence had signed a £1.5 billion contract to build a seventh Astute-class hunter-killer submarine called HMS Agincourt.

That would have made it the sixth Royal Navy vessel to have been named after the battle in October 1415, when the English, led by Henry V, defeated a larger French force.

It is recognised as one of England’s greatest military victories and provided the backdrop to William Shakespeare’s Henry V in which the monarch famously declares “once more unto the breach”.

Mr Shapps and Sir Gavin both criticised the name change.

Sir Gavin said: “It is so pathetic that the Government is so ashamed of our history that they are literally renaming it. Next, they will probably want to rename HMS Queen Elizabeth for fear the Spaniards might be upset about the Armada.”

Mr Shapps tweeted: “Renaming the HMS Agincourt is nothing short of sacrilege. This submarine carries a name that honours a defining moment in British history.

“Under Labour, woke nonsense is being put ahead of tradition and our Armed Forces’ proud heritage.”

Rear-Adml Chris Parry, a retired Royal Navy officer, said the decision was a case of “craven political correctness and ideology gone mad”.

He told Times Radio: “This is just craven and contemptible surrender to, I’m afraid, the ideology being pushed by our Government. It seeks to erase our history and anything we need to be proud of.”

He suggested the name change may have been a favour to the French government after it was excluded from the Aukus submarine deal between Australia, the UK and the US.

The Ships’ Names and Badges Committee suggests names to the Navy Board which then presents its selection to the Defence Secretary for sign off. The names are then submitted to the monarch for royal approval.

The Royal Navy would not say why the name had been changed. HMS Achilles is still under construction.

Downing Street refused to be drawn on why the name Agincourt had been dropped.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The name was proposed by the Names and Badging Committee and approved by His Majesty the King. I obviously can’t get into any more detail on that.”

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King involved in 'woke' name change of Agincourt submarine



King Charles was involved in a decision to change the name of a new royal submarine from HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, a move that was branded "woke nonsense" by former defence secretary Grant Shapps, the BBC has been told.

The name change was announced this week, and followed reports of concern within the Ministry of Defence that the original name for the vessel may have offended the French.

Agincourt refers to a battle England won against France in 1415, as part of the Hundred Years' War.

The move was also called "woke" and "pathetic" by another former Tory defence minister, Sir Gavin Williamson. It's not clear whether Sir Gavin or Shapps were aware that King Charles supported efforts to find another name.

Both the Palace and the MoD declined to comment on his involvement.

Discussions about renaming the submarine - which is being built in Barrow, Cumbria - started more than a year ago - while Shapps was still in office.

One defence source suggested the King had initiated those discussions.

The names of ships and submarines are put forward by the Royal Navy's Ships' Names and Badging Committee and then approved by the monarch.

HMS Agincourt was the name agreed under Queen Elizabeth II, but defence sources say King Charles wanted another name and has given his approval to HMS Achilles instead.

The Royal Navy said "the name was proposed by the Royal Navy Ships' Names and Badging Committee and approved by his Majesty the King".

The Navy said HMS Achilles was particularly appropriate as this year marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in which an earlier HMS Achilles received battle honours.

The original name, HMS Agincourt, was first announced in 2018, by Sir Gavin.

It would have been the sixth Royal Navy vessel to bear the name of the famous victory in 1415, when Henry V's Army defeated the French.

But there were concerns – both within and outside the Ministry of Defence – that reviving the name could cause unnecessary offence to France – a key ally.

Sir Gavin branded name change a "woke moment" in what he called the "pathetic" Ministry of Defence, while Shapps decried the decision as "sacrilege" and evidence of "Labour's woke nonsense".

Chris Parry, a former Nato commander, also told Times Radio that the decision to rename the submarine was "craven political correctness and ideology gone mad".