The Minotaur class was a three-ship class of armoured cruisers built in the first decade of the twentieth century for the Royal Navy. They initially served with the Home Fleet, generally as the flagships of cruiser squadrons. Minotaur became flagship of the China Station in 1910 and Defence served as flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean from 1912; Shannon remained at home as flagship of several different squadrons.