In the summer of 1922, she was in Constantinople when the American destroyer accidentally collided with a cutter from "Vittorio Emanuele", causing minor damage to the boat. Then-Lieutenant Joseph J. Clark, "Bulmer"s executive officer, came aboard "Vittorio Emanuele" to apologize for the incident. In early 1922, the world's major navies, including Italy, signed the Washington Naval Treaty. According to the terms of the treaty, Italy could keep "Vittorio Emanuele" and her three sisters, along with the newer dreadnought battleships. Due to the small size and age of the ships, particularly in comparison to the modern dreadnoughts, the Italians could have kept the ships in service indefinitely. They could not, however, be replaced by new battleships under the normal practice of the Treaty system, which provided for replacements after a ship was 20 years old. "Vittorio Emanuele" was stricken from the naval register on 1 April 1923 and subsequently broken up for scrap.