Type 12 except the frigates had AC electrics. The New Zealand Navy Board, of which three members were RN officers, argued the RN view that the RNZN needed a cruiser in the South Pacific and to support the RAN/RN. The point of Royalist from the RN viewpoint was a powerful interim late 1950s medium range AA platform with 30 rpm on two channels from four twin 5.25-inch guns. The space and comfort problems were only minimally altered by any economy in the AIO suite or 40 mm light AA and reducing to three main turrets destroyed the cruiser's primary AA value. The cruiser was a RN cruiser on loan, and not renamed "HMNZS New Zealand". The UK did not regard the RNZN as an independent force compared to the RAN and RCN. Phipps demanded some improvements and refused on 6 April 1956, in front of the dockyard superintendent and 40 assembled dockyard and Royalist RN/RNZN officers to sign the standard RN D448 release form for accepting the Royalist refit was completed to specified standard, while in command of as an accommodation ship. Phipps finally accepted the cruiser three weeks later after the minimum of adjustments; four showers added; the officers' baths removed and minor ventilation improvements. The Royal Navy saw Phipps' action as a disruption of the Suez naval preparations by a colonial upstart and an action unfitting of a serious RN senior officer and gentleman. Post-Suez the RNZN view of Phipps, the RNZN, its officers, and men, was unchanged. New Zealand was viewed as having zero capability for strategic assessment and the RN requested confirmation from the New Zealand government that in 1957 the RN East Asian staff would have authority of Royalist. Royalist lacked the pre-wetting, ABC spraydown equipment, specifically requested by the RNZN in 1955. The Devonport UK dockyard noted that installing spraydown to wash nuclear fallout was possible, providing a copy of the plan of the pre-wetting system under installation in , and suggested the New Zealand dockyard could do the job. In 1957, Royalist like the other Dido-class cruisers had beds only for 47 officers, in a standard cabin; the ratings had only a hammock. Royalist lacked even the single extra room with a sofa for senior rates on other Dido cruisers but did offer speed and extra communications systems and an Action Information Office (AIO) fitted late 1943. The other Dido-class cruiser fitted with