WOKE Navy chiefs are renaming HMS Agincourt — to avoid upsetting the French.
The sub was to have been the fleet’s sixth vessel named after the 1415 victory by outnumbered English archers.
Crown Copyright 2009Woke Navy chiefs are renaming HMS Agincourt to avoid upsetting the French[/caption]
Kenneth Branagh in the 1989 film Henry V
A move to rebrand the under-construction hunter-killer was thrown out last year as “woke nonsense” by Tory Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
But Top Brass reheated their plan and have settled on Achilles because they do not want to remind the French of their defeat.
The Sun understands Defence Secretary John Healey has asked the King for approval with the name change due to be announced today.
Shapps has slammed the U-turn, telling The Sun: “Renaming the Agincourt is nothing short of sacrilege.
“This ship carries a name that honours a defining moment in British history.”
Agincourt inspired Shakespeare’s Henry V — famously played by Kenneth Branagh in a 1989 film — and many of the Bard’s most famous lines, including, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” and “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”.
A spokesperson told The Sun: “We are proud of our nation’s rich military history and the many famous battles that the Royal Navy has played a part in.
“This process began under the previous government and any changes would be announced publicly in the usual way.
“A committee considers potential ships names based on historical information and potential civic affiliations.”
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