A permanent “Navy Royal” emerged during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547). In the 19th century, Royal Navy ships were heavily involved in the colonial phase in the development of what became British Columbia in carrying out the hydrographic surveys that opened coastal waters to navigation, in a constabulary role, and in providing a presence that backed British and subsequently Canadian sovereignty.
Created in 1903 as a reserve force made up of people from civilian occupations, the RNVR and the Royal Naval Reserve (whose members were recruited from civilians with seagoing experience) were combined in 1958.
A volunteer naval reserve that was organized into units in several locations around the British Isles. The volunteers were unpaid civilians who bought their own uniforms and paid for travel expenses. The Royal Naval Reserve (Volunteers) was a separate organization that recruited men from the mercantile marine. The Royal Naval Artillery Reserve was disbanded in 1892, but the Naval Forces Act of 1903 established the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) whose recruits were civilians without seagoing experience. The Royal Naval Artillery Volunteer Force was thus a forerunner to the RNVR.
The Royal Naval Academy was an institution that prepared young men for careers as naval officers. It was reconstituted in 1806 as the Royal Naval College. However, the academy and college did not become the preferred path for preparation of potential officers as the system of recruiting young men to go directly to sea as midshipmen remained the preferred entry stream. The Naval College was closed in 1837.