The last cruiser built in Spain for nearly twenty years, she was armed with a battery of ten 15 cm (5.9 in) guns and was capable of a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).

Powered by a pair of triple expansion steam engines rated at 15,000 indicated horsepower (11,000 kW), the ship was capable of a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).

[1] The ship was armed with a main battery of ten 15 cm (5.9 in) TR Gonzales de Rueda guns that were manufactured by Schneider-Creusot.

[1][4] In the aftermath of Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War of 1898, the country's economy proved to be too weak to support a significant naval expansion program.

[6] The ship travelled to Britain in June 1911 to represent the country at the coronation fleet review for the new king, George V, held at Spithead on the 24th.

[8] Spain remained neutral during World War I, and Reina Regente's service during the conflict was uneventful compared to her foreign contemporaries.