Royal Roads (anchorage) adopted in the 9th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 30 June 1910, not "Royal Bay" as labelled on British Admiralty Chart 576, 1865 et seq. Royal Roads (anchorage) re-approved 12 June 1934 and 13 December 1945 on C.3413 (Ottawa file OBF 1449).

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Named Royal Bay in 1846 by Captain Kellett, HM Herald, in association with Victoria (City) and Albert Head which flank the bay, in turn named for HRH Queen Victoria and her consort, HRH Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha, married in 1840.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Admiralty Chart #1897a, revised to 1873, labels "Royal Bay" close to the west shore, and "Esquimalt Roadstead" in the centre of the bay.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

"Sub-Lieutenant Manuel Quimper of the Spanish Navy, in his exploring voyage along this coast in command of the Princess Royal, 1790, named the roads "Rada de Valdes y Bazan". Royal roads or Royal bay, both names being given on the chart but the former generally used, is much frequented by shipping, being a convenient and free rendezvous for vessels seeking freight or waiting orders...".

Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)