 Vanguard 's first task after completing her sea trial at the end of 1946 was , early the next year , to convey King George VI and his family on the first Royal Tour of South Africa by a reigning monarch . While refitting after her return , she was selected for another Royal Tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1948 . This was cancelled due to King George 's declining health and Vanguard briefly became flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet in early 1949 . After her return home in mid @-@ 1949 , she became flagship of the Home Fleet Training Squadron . Throughout her career , the battleship usually served as the flagship of any unit to which she was assigned . During the early 1950s , Vanguard was involved in a number of training exercises with NATO forces . In 1953 she participated in Queen Elizabeth II 's Coronation Review . While she was refitting in 1955 , the Admiralty announced that the ship was going to be put into reserve upon completion of the work . Vanguard was sold for scrap and was broken up beginning in 1960 . 
