This is probably a stupid question but what does RMS mean in the RMS Titanic?

-- Nicole Damstetter (eeyorenkd@hotmail.com), December 31, 1997

Answers

From what I've read, it stands for "Royal Mail Ship".

-- Thomas M. Terashima (tom@nucleus.com), January 08, 1998.

Royal Mail Steamer

-- peter nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), December 31, 1997.

My grandpa told me RMS was a term used in England, Royal Majesty Ships. . .

-- Lori Larsson (ohgifted1@earthlink.net), January 04, 1998.

"R.M.S." stands for Royal Mail Steamer. The designation was used by ships contracted to carry the British mails. It was seen as a mark of distinction, and so was used on most public documents -- brochures, timetables and the like -- refering to the ship.

-- Andrew W. Hall (tigone@phoenix.net), January 14, 1998.

R.M.S. Stands for Royal Majesty Ship.

-- Lea Lawrence (llawrence@jvlnet.com), January 19, 1998.

Sorry Lea, I'm going to have to stand by my original answer: Royal Mail Steamer. Check with the Titanic Historial Society or Harland & Wolfe.

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 19, 1998.

"RMS" stands for "Royal Mail Steamship", NOT Royal Majesty Service or anything else like that. "Royal Majesty" is a term applied to ships of military use--signifying there ownership by the Queen's government. "Royal Mail" is a term applied to ships contracted to carry British mail to the United States, just as there were "United States" steamers contracted to carry U.S. mail to Europe.

-- GAP (Three49er@aol.com), January 04, 1999.

The Titanic was owned by the International Mercantile Marine (of which the White Star Line was a member), so why would it be designated as a "Royal Majesty Ship"? It wouldn't. The only thing the Titanic had to do with England is that it sailed from there, and much of the crew was British.

-- GAP (Three49er@aol.com), January 04, 1999.

GAP, you're wrong. Yes, the RMS means "Royal Mail Steamer," but that's because it was REGISTERED as a British ship. In the 1910's, it was prestigious to have a British registry. And British military ships are not "Royal Majesty Ships." They are designated HMS, for "His/Her Majesty's Ship [of war]." Like the HMS Repulse, the sub from the Falkland War, or the HMS Invincible, their aircraft carrier on patrol in the Persian Gulf. Any ship of British registry that is NOT military is designated RMS for "Royal Mail Steamer." Check the Royal Navy website or Queen Elizabeth's Royal Website for more on this subject.

-- anon (foo@bar.com), January 04, 1999.

RMS Titanic was Irish built (Harland and Wolfe, Belfast), American owned (IMM) and of British Registry (Liverpool).

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), January 04, 1999.

RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship, due to the fact it was used to carry mail on the trans atlantic mail deliveries as well as carrying passengers. HMS or HMY are used on ships forces ships or the Queens private ship what was the Britania

-- andy hudson (andythegopher@aol.com), April 18, 2004.

I always thought "R.M.S." stood for "Royal Merchant Ship", a designation given to non-warships of British origin. I have heard this phrase used on TV (or should I say, "the Tele"). Perhaps "Royal Mail Steamer" and alike are, give the time, now outdated?

-- R. Ackerman (got2bmenkc@yahoo.com), May 29, 2004.