Meanwhile, the Confederate government clandestinely commissioned warships from English shipyards.
Warships from the United States, Russia, NATO, India and Europe soon began steaming toward Somalia's waters.
The South, meanwhile, purchased warships from Britain and set about catching and burning Union whalers.
The exercise is the first time that warships from those three countries have conducted joint maneuvers.
That fleet, supplemented by warships from other allies including Canada, Australia and Britain, is also expected to grow.
The prince was representing the Queen at the International Fleet Review, which features around 40 warships from 17 countries.
He said that China had only sent administrative vessels to the disputed islands, not warships from its navy.
Warships from the UK, US and France, loaded with humanitarian supplies, have been waiting off Burma's coast.
A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: "UK and Nato assets routinely monitor warships from other nations when they enter our area of interest and this will be no different".
In this bit of the southern Mediterranean, there are nine rescue operations in progress, involving MSF's boats, the Italian coastguards and a few warships from European navies.
Warships from Denmark, India, Malaysia, Russia, the US and Nato patrol the international maritime corridor off Somalia, escorting some merchant ships and responding to distress calls.
