The development of the Royal Navy is quite interesting, constantly inventing its own nemesis time and again.
During World War I, the Royal Navy was undoubtedly the world's number one, unmatched in tonnage, quantity, and advancement.
Standing at the top, all it needed to do was maintain this advantage and keep developing, and there would be no problem. Even if there were any odd ideas, they should have been secretly developed.
But the "enterprising spirit" of the Royal Navy was simply a boon for its adversaries.
Alternatively, it could be seen as a sense of crisis. Despite having the most and the most advanced battleships, it constantly worried about the possibility of some cheap, simple equipment defeating its battleships.
Thus, torpedo boats were invented.