Ark Royal[Note 1] was an English galleon, originally ordered for Sir Walter Raleigh and later purchased by the crown for service in the Tudor navy.

She was used as the English flagship in a number of engagements, including the battles that resulted in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and had a long career spanning over 50 years.

Ark Royal was originally built to order by the shipbuilder R. Chapman, of Deptford, for Sir Walter Raleigh, who was approximately 32 years of age at the time.

Her first action came in 1588 during the attack of the Spanish Armada, when Ark Royal, as one of the largest vessels in the English fleet, was the flagship of Lord High Admiral Howard.

After the initial defeat of the Armada, Ark Royal led the chase of the fleeing ships into the North Sea and beyond the Firth of Forth.