HMS Agincourt has been renamed Achilles amid reports the defence ministry did not want to offend France.

The Royal Navy has been accused of renaming new attack submarine HMS Agincourt to avoid upsetting the French. The seventh Astute Class boat was due to become the sixth vessel to be named after the 1415 battle, where Henry V routed the forces of France with the help of his legendary archers.

A decision to rename nuclear-powered submarine HMS Agincourt is “woke nonsense”, a former defence secretary said. The Astute-class attack submarine, which is still under construction, was due to be named in honour of Henry V’s 1415 victory over the French.

Defence Secretary John Healey is seeking the King's approval to rename HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, in a move that has sparked controversy over concerns about offending the French. The decision to rebrand the under-construction hunter-killer submarine represents a significant U-turn in naval policy.