HMS Royalist was a Bellona class light cruiser. Built in 1942 and served in both the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy during WWII and the Cold War. HMS Royalist was modified with extra facilities and crew for operating as a flagship in aircraft carrier operations.

Initially, she operated in the North Sea before transferring to the Mediterranean for the invasion of southern France. HMS Royalist remained in the Aegean Sea until the end of 1944 before sailing to the Far East in 1945 where the ship served until the end of the war.