While well armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on "police" duties and did not serve with the main battlefleet.

[1] Captain John Locke Marx was appointed in command in September 1898, for service on the North America and West Indies Station, which had headquarters at Bermuda and (during summer) Halifax.

In March 1900 she visited Nassau, Bahamas to assist HMS Hermes, stranded there with a broken shaft.

The Royal Zeeland Steamship Company mailboat Koningen Regentes struck the bow of Proserpine, leaving slight damage to both vessels.

Sent to the Mediterranean, East Indies and Egypt 1914-18 and finally the Red Sea 1918 to blockade Somalia, and gun running prevention in the Persian Gulf.