In 1906 she became a training ship for the North America and West Indies Station before returning home and being assigned as the flagship of the reserve Third Fleet in 1909.

[1] She was powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, which produced a total of 21,000 indicated horsepower (15,660 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph).

[5] Her secondary armament of twelve BL 6-inch Mk VII guns was arranged in casemates amidships.

[7] A dozen quick-firing (QF) 12-pounder 12 cwt guns were fitted for defence against torpedo boats, eight on casemates on the upper deck and four in the superstructure.

[4] She was commissioned at Chatham on 6 May 1902 by Captain Paul Bush, to take the place of HMS Diadem in the Channel Squadron,[10] which she joined in late July after steam trials.

[13] She was later re-assigned to the China Station where along with HMS Iphigenia she was sent to monitor the Russian fleeting sailing through the Singapore Strait on the way to the Battle of Tsushima.

[14] They arrived to late to this although they did meet the Russian fleet the following day with Sutlej greeting them with a 17 gun salute.

[15] A few days after the start of the war, Sutlej was assigned to the 9th Cruiser Squadron (CS) for convoy escort duties off the French and Iberian coasts.