“The Puritan Revolution (1640-1660) and the Dutch Wars (1652-1678) led
England to establish a permanent national navy with a professional officer corps.

It became the Royal Navy in 1660 under Charles II.

The Royal Navy became essential in the defense of the island nation and the protection of merchant interests across the globe.

Though a law issued in 1677 created minimum qualifications for a commission in the Royal Navy, all officers’ training was still completed at sea.” (Lehner, 2008, p.10).

Reference

Lehner, W.D. (2008) An Analysis of Naval Officer Accession Programs. Master’s Thesis. Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School.