The Drake class were enlarged and improved versions of the Cressy class designed by Sir William White, Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy, to counter the new French armoured cruiser Jeanne d'Arc.

The engines produced a total of 30,000 indicated horsepower (22,000 kW) and the Drakes easily reached their designed speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph).

[4] The ships' secondary armament of sixteen BL 6-inch Mk VII guns was arranged in casemates amidships.

[6] A dozen quick-firing (QF) 12-pounder 12 cwt guns were fitted for defence against torpedo boats.

The compilers of The Naval Annual revised costs quoted for British ships between the 1905 and 1906 editions.