 She was assigned to the Channel Fleet in mid-1889 as a flagship for the fleet's second-in-command.Two years later, the passenger ship "SS Utopia" sank with the loss of 562 lives after colliding with "Anson" in the Bay of Gibraltar.In mid-1893, "Anson" was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, subsequently returning home in 1900 when she was assigned to the Reserve Fleet.