Ophir was a twin-screw steamer built for the Orient Line's Australian service and launched in 1891. Her luxurious accommodation was extremely popular with passengers and her general suitability for voyaging in tropical waters made her a logical - almost obvious - choice for the Royal Tour of 1901. The tour was to be undertaken by the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) and, in the absence of a suitable royal yacht, the Admiralty decided to charter a liner for royal duties. Ophir, 6800 tons and 465 feet long, needed little alteration and the necessary work was carried out at Tilbury. Splendidly repainted in a new white livery, she left Portsmouth on 16 March 1901 for the first-ever Royal Tour in the modern sense. Every continent in the Empire except India was visited and at the end of the seven month voyage, she had steamed 45,000 miles. Returning to commercial sailings the following year, her royal connections made Ophir even more popular with the travelling public. Her running costs were so high however that she was frequently laid-up during the low season. Serving as an Armed Merchant Cruiser throughout the Great War, she was paid-off for the last time in 1919 and finally broken-up in 1922.