28 January 2025, 06:30

By EJ Ward

The decision to rename the Royal Navy’s HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles has sparked considerable debate, and rightly so. It feels like an unnecessary act of self-censorship, bending over backwards to avoid offending French sensibilities over a battle fought more than 600 years ago.

It’s not just a pointless gesture, it’s one that reflects poorly on how we view our own history and relationships with allies.

Agincourt is one of those moments in British history that symbolises ingenuity, resilience, and triumph against the odds, which is why I am guessing the boat was named that, (and as a good friend who was a submariner constantly reminds me, it's a boat not a ship, a ship is just a target! - no, me either).

Whether it was Henry V’s rousing speech or the legendary skill of English longbowmen,........

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