HMS Atheling (D51) was a Royal Navy Ruler-class escort carrier of the Second World War.

She sailed via the Panama Canal and New York arriving at the Clyde UK in January 1944 and underwent further modification there to operate fighter aircraft.

Her name was stricken from the Naval Register 7 February 1947 and she was sold to National Bulk Carriers as the merchant ship Roma 26 November 1947.

These ships were all larger and had a greater aircraft capacity than all the preceding American built escort carriers.

[3] Propulsion was provided a steam turbine, two boilers connected to one shaft giving 9,350 brake horsepower (SHP), which could propel the ship at 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).