H.M.S. Agamemnon, 8,510 tons, was built at Chatham; laid down in 1876, launched in 1879, she was finally completed in 1883. The las battleship in the Royal Navy to have muzzle-loading guns, she had a rather chequered career until 1892 when she was placed in reserve before being broken up in 1903. Theoretically capable of 13 knots but severely hankicapped by a less than successful design, she and her sister Ajax were widely regartded as the most unhandy capital ships ever to fly the White Ensign.

H.M.S. Alexandra was, by comparison, a hugely successful battleship. Also built at Chatham and completed in 1877, she served as a flagship throughout her entire active carreer, being with the Mediterranean Fleet from 1877 until 1889. Towards the end of that period, she flew the flag of Admiral H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh (the second son of Queen Victoria) and he had her painted white for coolness, a feature which made her strikingly distinctive in the navy of the day. Launched by the future Queen Alexandra, she served with distinction in several operations, was last at sea for the 1900 Manoeuvres and was broken up in 1908.