Some of "Rodney"s crew travelled to London to participate in King George VI's Coronation on 12 May 1937 and the ship took part in the subsequent Fleet Review at Spithead on 20 May. She again became the temporary fleet flagship when "Nelson" began a lengthy refit the following month and Admiral Sir Roger Backhouse hoisted his flag aboard her. "Rodney" visited Oslo, Norway, in July. "Nelson"s refit ended in February 1938 and the sisters made a port visit to Lisbon, Portugal that same month. Captain Edward Syfret relieved Whitworth on 16 August, shortly before "Rodney" began her annual short refit in September. After the completion of her post-refit trials in January 1939, Rear-Admiral Lancelot Holland hoisted his flag aboard the ship as the commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron. She fired a 21-gun salute in honor of the French President Albert Lebrun's arrival in Dover in March for talks with the British government. As the Home Fleet was assembling in Scapa Flow as tensions with Germany rose in August, "Rodney" developed steering problems and had to proceed to Rosyth for repairs and a bottom cleaning.