She had been designed and laid down for the British East India Company who was going to name her Princess Royal, but the Navy purchased her before launching, for service as a warship in the French Revolutionary War.

Ardent was built as a ship of the East India Company named Princess Royal, by Thomas Pitcher at Northfleet.

[7] By the end of the battle, Ardent had ninety-eight cannonballs in her hull, and her masts were so damaged that she could not set sail and had to be towed home by HMS Bedford.

[7] Burges was replaced by Captain Thomas Bertie, who took Adamant to join the squadron of William Mitchell off the Dutch coast in August 1797.

[2] As such, she participated in the Vlieter incident in August 1799, being one of the line of ships that intimidated the Dutch Rear-Admiral Samuel Storij into surrendering his squadron of twelve modern warships, after an Anglo-Russian expedition had occupied Den Helder.

[7] Ardent temporarily served as the flagship of the commander-in-chief of the Baltic Fleet, Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, in February 1801 before the Battle of Copenhagen.

[2] At the battle itself on 2 April, Ardent was a part of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson's squadron and lost thirty men killed and another sixty-four wounded.

[2][8] She was one of the first five ships of the fleet to engage the enemy and during the drawn out battle half of her main deck carronades, with which her battery had been replaced, were put out of action.

[7] After being repaired at the cost of £11,829 at Chatham between August 1802 and April 1803, Ardent was recommissioned under Captain Robert Winthrop and took the French ship Le Prudent on 8 July.