Royal Mail Ship (sometimes Steam-ship, 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. They have the right to fly the pennant of the Royal Mail when sailing.^[1][2][3] A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship. ... For other uses, see Mail (disambiguation). ... Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ...

The designation has been used since 1840.^[4] It was used by a large number of companies, but is often associated in particular with the Cunard line, which held a number of high-profile mail contract business, and which traditionally prefixed the titles of all its ships with the initials "RMS". The best-known ship carrying the prefix is almost certainly the RMS Titanic of the White Star Line. 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... A contract is a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties that the law will enforce. ... For other uses, see Titanic. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ...

Technically, a ship would use the prefix only while contracted to carry mail, and would revert at other times to a standard type designation such as "SS". Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. ... Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ...

Initially the Admiralty operated these ships. In 1850 contracts were awarded to private companies. The most valuable route, with the highest volume, was between Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), in Ireland, and Holyhead in Wales. The City of Dublin Steam Packet Company (CDSPCo) won the contract and purchased RMS Saint Columa and RMS Llwywllyn from the Admiralty. Flag of the Lord High Admiral The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... // Statistics Population ( ) Georges street Dún Laoghaire (Irish pronunciation ; anglicised spelling Dunleary, pronunciation ) (the original Irish spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms) is a suburban seaside town and ferry port, situated some 12 km (7 mi) south of Dublin city centre, in Ireland... Holyhead (Welsh: Caergybi, the fort of St. ... This article is about the country. ... The City of Dubin Steam Packet Company was a shipping line established in 1823. ...

Having the title "RMS" was seen as a mark of quality and a competitive advantage, because the mail had to be on time. In the 1860 CDSPCo contract there was a penalty clause of £1 1s 4d for every minute's delay. 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... “GBP” redirects here. ... This article is about coinage. ... For the NBA basketball player with the nickname see Penny Hardaway A variety of low value coins, including an Irish 2p piece and many U.S. pennies. ...

In recent years the shift to air transport for mail has left only two ships with the right to the prefix; RMS St. Helena, which serves the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, and RMS Queen Mary 2. QM2 was conferred "RMS" by Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004 on the Southampton to New York route as a gesture to Cunard's history.^[5] The RMS St. ... The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the Queen Consort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003, the QM2 was the longest, widest and...

The less common designations RMMV, for Royal Mail Motor Vessel, and RMMS, for Royal Mail Motor Ship, were used for a period when RMS was restricted to steam-ships.

List of RMS Ships

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the Queen Consort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003, the QM2 was the longest, widest and... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Adriatic was an ocean liner belonging to the White Star Line. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The Aquitania was an ocean liner built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, for the Cunard Line. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... The RMS Arabia was a P&O passenger liner torpedoed on November 6, 1916 by the German submarine UB-43. ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dates from the early 19th century. ... The RMS Arlanza was an ocean liner of the Royal Mail Lines in service from 1912 to 1938. ... mv Mairangi Bay at Rotterdam Overseas Containers Limited (OCL) was a container shipping company formed by a consortium of British shipping companies in 1965. ... White Star Line logo and burgee. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The RMS Baltic was the second ship of that name belonging to the White Star Line. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The RMS Britannia was an ocean liner of the British Cunard Steamship Lines. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Britannic was the third White Star Line ship to bear the name. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The RMS Lucania was a British ocean liner owned by the Cunard Steamship Line Shipping Company, built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Govan, Scotland, and launched on Thursday, February 2, 1893. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Carpathia The RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... The RMS Caronia was a 34,183 gross-ton passenger ship of the Cunard Line. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Celtic was an ocean liner belonging to the White Star Line. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... RMS Cedric was an ocean liner belonging to the White Star Line. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The RMS Dunottar Castle was built at Govan Shipyards in 1889 by the Fairfield Ship Building & Engineering Co. ... The Union-Castle Line was a prominent shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and freighters between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. ... RMS Empress of Australia was a passenger liner that was ceded to Great Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, and later sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway company. ... An eastbound CPR freight at Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass. ... RMS Etruria and her sister ship RMS Umbria were the last two Cunarders that were fitted with auxiliary Sails. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Homeric, formerly known as Columbus, was built for Norddeutscher Lloyd and launched in 1913 at the F. Schihau yard in Danzig. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The second RMS Laconia was a Cunard ocean liner built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson as a successor to the Laconia of 1911 to 1917. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... The first RMS Laconia was a Cunard ocean liner built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, launched on July 27, 1911, delivered to the Cunard Line on December 12, 1911, and began service on January 20, 1912. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Lusitania was a British luxury ocean liner owned by the Cunard Steamship Line Shipping Company and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... Launched in 1938 at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, Mauretania II was the largest ship built in England up to that time, and the first ship built for Cunard-White Star. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company placed the order for RMS Maloja with Harland and Wolff Ltd on 29 November 1918. ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dates from the early 19th century. ... RMS Majestic, originally christened Bismarck, was launched in 1914 and was, at 56,551 gross tonnes, the largest ship in the world until the completion of the S.S. Normandie in 1935. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company placed the order for R.M.S. Mooltan with Harland and Wolff Ltd on 29 November 1918. ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dates from the early 19th century. ... RMS Niagara was a 13,415 gross ton ocean liner, length 165. ... The RMS Oceanic(I) was the White Star Lines first liner and an important turning point in passenger liner design. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... RMS Queen Elizabeth was a steam-powered ocean liner of the Cunard Steamship Company. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... The RMS Royal Adelaide was a steamship owned and operated by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company. ... The City of Dubin Steam Packet Company was a shipping line established in 1823. ... Built at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, the RMS Georgic was the last ship built for the White Star Line before its merger with the Cunard Line. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... RMS Olympic was the first of her class of ocean liners built for the White Star Line, which also included the ill-fated liners Titanic and Britannic. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... RMS Mauretania (also known as Maury), sister ship of the Lusitania, was an ocean liner built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, and was launched on September 20, 1906. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... types/51 sh/sh liner/36 qma/qma. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Umbria and her sister ship RMS Etruria were the last two Cunarders that were fitted with auxiliary Sails. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... RMS Scythia was a Cunard liner. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... For other uses, see Titanic. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... For the earlier Union-Castle ship of the same name, see SS Windsor Castle (1922). ... The Union-Castle Line was a prominent shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and freighters between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. ... RMS VICEROY OF INDIA // RMS Viceroy of India was laid down in April 1927 at the shipyard of Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. ... The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dates from the early 19th century. ... The RMS Oceanic was a luxury ocean liner similar to the Aquitania, the Lusitania, the Britannic, the Mauritania, and the Titanic, but was considered to be in a class of its own. ... Babylon 5 starships, see the article White Star. ... Her Majestys Government, or when the Sovereign is male, His Majestys Government, abbreviated HMG or HM Government, is the formal title used by the Government of the United Kingdom. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. ... RMS Segwun is a small steamship, built in 1924, to cruise the Muskoka Lakes, in the county of Muskoka, Ontario Canada. ... The RMS Trent was a British mail packet. ... mv Mairangi Bay at Rotterdam Overseas Containers Limited (OCL) was a container shipping company formed by a consortium of British shipping companies in 1965. ... The RMS Leinster (RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship) served as the Dublin-Holyhead mailboat until she was torpedoed by a German U-boat on 10 October 1918, a month before the end of World War I. She was sunk by the submarine UB-123 just outside Dublin Bay at... The City of Dubin Steam Packet Company was a shipping line established in 1823. ... The first so called superliner, the RMS Servia was built in 1881 by J.&G, Thomson Limted of Glasgow, Scotland for the Cunard Steamship Line Shipping Company. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ...

External links

• Historic Ocean Liners
• RMS Caronia "Green Goddess" Time-Line
• Titanic Archive

Notes

1. ^ Royal Mails employees Courier newspaper page 20 August 2007
2. ^ http://www.nqsouthern.com/digitalpublication/digitalpublications/index.cfm?dpid=89&section_id=673
3. ^ http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb-rmail.html
4. ^ The first citation in the Times is from August 18, 1840
5. ^ Royal Mails employees Courier newspaper page 20 August 2007