Admiral of the Fleet
Insignia shoulder board and Sleeve lace for Admiral of the Fleet
The flag of an admiral of the Fleet is the Union Flag, and is in 1:2 rather than the 2:3 of other admirals' flags.[1]
Country	United Kingdom
Service branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Five-star
NATO rank	OF-10
Non-NATO rank	O-11
Formation	1690
Next lower rank	Admiral
Equivalent ranks	Field marshal (British Army) Marshal of the Royal Air Force (RAF)

Admiral of the Fleet is a five-star naval officer rank and the highest rank of the Royal Navy. The five-star NATO rank code is OF-10, equivalent to a field marshal in the British Army or a marshal of the Royal Air Force. Other than honorary appointments no new admirals of the fleet have been named since 1995.

History[edit]

The origins of the rank can be traced back to Sir John de Beauchamp, 1st Baron Beauchamp de Warwick, who was appointed 'Admiral of the King's Southern, Northern and Western Fleets' on 18 July 1360.^[2] The appointment gave the command of the English navy to one person for the first time; the post evolved into the post of Admiral of the Fleet.^[3] In the days sailing ships the admiral distinctions then used by the Royal Navy when the fleet was divided into three divisions – red, white, or blue. Each division was assigned an admiral, who in turn commanded a vice-admiral and a rear admiral. In the 18th century, the original nine ranks began to be filled by more than one person at any one time. The admiral of the red was pre-eminent and became known as the admiral of the fleet.^[4]

The organisation of the British fleet into coloured squadrons was abandoned in 1864, although the Royal Navy kept the White Ensign. When the professional head of the Royal Navy was given the title of First Naval Lord in 1828 (renamed First Sea Lord in 1904), the rank of admiral of the fleet became an honorary promotion for retiring First Naval Lords allowing more than one admiral of the fleet to exist at one time.

Since 1811 five members of the British Royal family, other than the monarch, and four members of foreign royal families have been appointed admirals of the fleet. Of the British royalty granted the rank, only one, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) had not seen service in the Royal Navy.

During the two World Wars a number of serving officers held active commissions as admirals of the fleet, as well as the First Naval Lord. Following the creation of the Chief of the Defence Staff in 1959, the five naval officers appointed to that position became admirals of the fleet. Recognizing the reduced post–Cold War size of the British Armed Forces, no further appointments were made to the rank after 1995 when Sir Benjamin Bathurst was appointed admiral of the fleet on his retirement as First Sea Lord. The rank was not abolished and in 2012 the Prince of Wales became an honorary admiral of the fleet (as well as field marshal and marshal of the Royal Air Force), in recognition of his support to Queen Elizabeth II in her role of as Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces. In 2014, Lord Boyce, a former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Defence Staff, was also appointed an honorary admiral of the fleet.^[5]

Admirals of the Fleet[edit]

Appointed	Image	Name	Born	Died	Notes	Reference
1690		Edward Russell (later Earl of Orford)	1652	1727		[6]
1696		Sir George Rooke	1650	1709	circa	[7]
13 January 1705		Sir Cloudesley Shovell	1650	1707		[8]
8 January 1708		Leake JohnSir John Leake	1656	1720		[9]
21 December 1708		Fairborne StaffordSir Stafford Fairborne	1666	1742	circa	[10]
12 November 1709		Aylmer MatthewSir Matthew Aylmer	1650	1720		[11]
14 March 1718		Byng GeorgeSir George Byng (later Viscount Torrington)	1663	1733		[12]
20 February 1734		Norris JohnSir John Norris	1670	1749		[13]
1 July 1749		Ogle ChallonerSir Chaloner Ogle	1681	1750		[14]
22 November 1751		Steuart JamesJames Steuart	1690	1757		[15]
March 1757		Clinton GeorgeThe Hon. George Clinton	1686	1761		[16]
30 July 1761		AnsonThe Lord Anson	1697	1762		[17]
17 December 1762		Rowley WilliamSir William Rowley	1690	1768	circa	[18]
15 January 1768		Hawke EdwardSir Edward Hawke (later Lord Hawke)	1705	1781		[19]
24 October 1781		Luke O'KeefeThe Hon. John Forbes	1714	1796		[20]
12 March 1796		HoweThe Earl Howe	1726	1799		[21]
16 September 1799		Parker PeterSir Peter Parker	1721	1811		[22]
24 December 1811		Clarence and Saint AndrewsHRH The Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (later HM King William IV)	1765	1837		[23]
19 July 1821		Saint VincentThe Earl of St Vincent	1735	1823	acting from May 1814	[24]
28 June 1830		Williams-Freeman WilliamWilliam Williams-Freeman	1742	1832		[25]
22 July 1830		GambierThe Lord Gambier	1756	1833		[26]
22 July 1830		Pole CharlesSir Charles Pole	1757	1830		[27]
24 April 1833		Nugent CharlesSir Charles Nugent	1759	1844		[28]
8 January 1844		Hawkins-Whitshed JamesSir James Hawkins-Whitshed	1762	1849		[29]
9 November 1846		Martin GeorgeSir George Martin	1764	1847		[30]
13 October 1849		Martin ThomasSir Thomas Byam Martin	1773	1854		[31]
1 July 1851		Cockburn GeorgeSir George Cockburn	1772	1853		[32]
8 December 1857		Ogle CharlesSir Charles Ogle	1775	1858		[33]
25 June 1858		West JohnSir John West	1774	1862		[34]
20 May 1862		Gage WilliamSir William Gage	1777	1864		[35]
10 November 1862		Hamond GrahamSir Graham Hamond	1779	1862		[36]
27 April 1863		Austen FrancisSir Francis Austen	1774	1865		[37]
27 April 1863		Parker WilliamSir William Parker	1781	1866		[38]
11 January 1864		Curtis LuciusSir Lucius Curtis	1786	1869		[39]
12 September 1865		Cochrane ThomasSir Thomas Cochrane	1789	1872		[40]
30 November 1866		Seymour GeorgeSir George Seymour	1787	1870		[41]
30 January 1868		Gordon JamesSir James Gordon	1782	1869	on the Retired List	[42]
15 January 1869		Bowles WilliamSir William Bowles	1780	1869		[43]
2 July 1869		Sartorious GeorgeSir George Sartorius	1790	1885		[44]
21 January 1870		Moresby FairfaxSir Fairfax Moresby	1786	1877		[45]
20 October 1872		Stewart HoustonSir Houston Stewart	1791	1875		[46]
11 December 1875		Wallis ProvoSir Provo Wallis	1791	1892		[47]
22 January 1877		Codrington HenrySir Henry Codrington	1808	1877		[48]
5 August 1877		Keppel HenrySir Henry Keppel	1809	1904		[49]
27 December 1877		LauderdaleThe Earl of Lauderdale	1803	1878		[50]
27 December 1877		Mundy RodneySir Rodney Mundy	1805	1884		[51]
15 June 1879		Hope JamesSir James Hope	1808	1881		[52]
15 June 1879		Symonds ThomasSir Thomas Symonds	1813	1894		[52]
10 June 1881		Milne AlexanderSir Alexander Milne, Bt.	1806	1896	on the Retired List	[53]
1 December 1881		Elliot CharlesSir Charles Elliot	1818	1895		[54]
29 April 1885		Ryder AlfredSir Alfred Ryder	1820	1888		[55]
18 July 1887		WalesHRH The Prince of Wales (later HM King Edward VII)	1841	1910	honorary to non-Navy royalty	[56]
1 May 1888		Hornby GeoffreySir Geoffrey Hornby	1825	1895		[57]
8 December 1888		Hay JohnLord John Hay	1827	1916	First Sea Lord 1886	[58]
2 August 1889		William IIHIM German Emperor William II	1859	1941	honorary, to foreign royalty	[59]
13 February 1892		Commerell JohnSir John Commerell	1829	1901		[60]
3 June 1893		EdinburghHRH The Duke of Edinburgh (later Duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)	1844	1900		[61]
20 February 1895		ClanwilliamThe Earl of Clanwilliam	1832	1907		[62]
23 August 1897		Lyons AlgernonSir Algernon Lyons	1833	1908		[63]
29 November 1898		Richards FrederickSir Frederick Richards	1833	1912	First Sea Lord 1893-1899	[64]
13 January 1899		Salmon NowellSir Nowell Salmon	1835	1912		[65]
3 October 1902		Erskine JamesSir James Erskine	1838	1911		[66]
30 August 1903		Hotham CharlesSir Charles Hotham	1843	1925		[67]
16 June 1904		Kerr WalterLord Walter Kerr	1839	1927	First Sea Lord 1899-1904	[68]
20 February 1905		Seymour EdwardSir Edward Seymour	1840	1929		[69]
5 December 1905		Fisher JohnSir John Fisher (later Lord Fisher)	1841	1920	First Sea Lord 1905-1910 and 1914-1915	[70]
1 March 1907		Wilson ArthurSir Arthur Wilson	1842	1921	First Sea Lord 1910-1911	[71]
11 June 1908		Nicholas IIHIM Tsar Nicholas II of Russia	1868	1918	honorary, to foreign royalty	[72]
2 December 1908		Noel GerardSir Gerard Noel	1845	1918		[73]
27 January 1910		Heinrich of PrussiaHRH Prince Henry of Prussia	1862	1929	honorary, to foreign royalty	[74]
30 April 1910		Fanshawe ArthurSir Arthur Fanshawe	1847	1936		[75]
6 May 1910	George V	HM King George V	1865	1936		[76]
20 March 1913		May WilliamSir William May	1849	1930		[77]
5 March 1915		Meux HedworthThe Honourable Sir Hedworth Meux	1856	1929		[78]
2 April 1917		Callaghan GeorgeSir George Callaghan	1852	1920		[79]
3 April 1919		JellicoeThe Viscount Jellicoe (later Earl Jellicoe)	1859	1935	First Sea Lord 1916-1918	[80]
3 April 1919		Beatty DavidSir David Beatty (later Earl Beatty)	1871	1936	First Sea Lord 1919-1927	[81]
31 July 1919		Jackson HenrySir Henry Jackson	1855	1929	First Sea Lord 1915-1916	[82]
1 November 1919		Wemyss RosslynSir Rosslyn Wemyss (later Lord Wester Wemyss)	1864	1933	First Sea Lord 1918-1919	[83]
24 November 1920		Burney CecilSir Cecil Burney, Bt.	1858	1929		[84]
5 July 1921		Sturdee DovetonSir Doveton Sturdee, Bt.	1859	1925		[85]
19 August 1921		Milford HavenHRH The Marquess of Milford Haven	1854	1921	First Sea Lord 1912-1914. On the Retired List	[86]
31 July 1924		Madden CharlesSir Charles Madden, Bt.	1862	1935	First Sea Lord 1927-1930	[87]
8 May 1925		Calthorpe SomersetThe Honourable Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe	1864	1937		[88]
24 November 1925		de Robeck JohnSir John de Robeck, Bt.	1862	1928		[89]
21 January 1928		Oliver HenrySir Henry Oliver	1865	1965		[90]
31 July 1929		Brock OsmondSir Osmond Brock	1869	1947		[91]
8 May 1930		Keyes RogerSir Roger Keyes, Bt. (later Lord Keyes)	1872	1945		[92]
21 January 1933		Field FrederickSir Frederick Field	1871	1945	First Sea Lord 1930-1933	[93]
31 July 1934		Tyrwhitt ReginaldSir Reginald Tyrwhitt, Bt.	1870	1951		[94]
8 May 1935		Chatfield ErnleSir Ernle Chatfield (later Lord Chatfield)	1873	1967	First Sea Lord 1933-1938	[95]
21 January 1936		Edward VIIIHM King Edward VIII	1894	1972		[96]
12 July 1936		Kelly JohnSir John Kelly	1871	1936		[97]
11 December 1936		George VIHM King George VI	1895	1952		[98]
21 January 1938		CorkThe Earl of Cork and Orrery	1873	1967		[99]
7 July 1939		Backhouse RogerSir Roger Backhouse	1878	1939	First Sea Lord 1938-1939	[100]
31 July 1939		Pound DudleySir Dudley Pound	1877	1943	First Sea Lord 1939-1943	[101]
8 May 1940		Forbes CharlesSir Charles Forbes	1880	1960		[102]
21 January 1943		Cunningham AndrewSir Andrew Cunningham (later Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope)	1883	1963	First Sea Lord 1943-1946	[103]
22 October 1943		Tovey JohnSir John Tovey (later Lord Tovey)	1885	1971		[104]
8 May 1945		Somerville JohnSir James Somerville	1882	1949		[105]
21 January 1948		Cunningham JohnSir John Cunningham	1885	1965	First Sea Lord 1946-1948	[106]
22 October 1948		Fraser of North CapeThe Lord Fraser of North Cape	1888	1981	First Sea Lord 1948-1951	[107]
20 March 1949		Willis AlgernonSir Algernon Willis	1889	1976		[108]
22 April 1952		Power ArthurSir Arthur Power	1889	1960		[109]
1 June 1952		Vian PhilipSir Philip Vian	1894	1968		[110]
15 January 1953		EdinburghHRH The Duke of Edinburgh	1921		Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom 2011–present	[111]
1 May 1953		McGrigor RhoderickSir Rhoderick McGrigor	1893	1959	First Sea Lord 1951-1955	[112]
22 April 1955		Creasy GeorgeSir George Creasy	1895	1972		[113]
22 October 1956		Mountbatten of BurmaThe Earl Mountbatten of Burma	1900	1979	First Sea Lord 1955-1959 Chief of the Defence Staff 1959–1965	[114]
10 May 1960		Lambe CharlesSir Charles Lambe	1900	1960	First Sea Lord 1959-1960	[115]
23 May 1962		John CasparSir Caspar John	1903	1984	First Sea Lord 1960-1963	[116]
12 August 1968		Begg VarylSir Varyl Begg	1908	1995	First Sea Lord 1966-1968	[117]
30 June 1970		Le Fanu MichaelSir Michael Le Fanu	1913	1970	First Sea Lord 1968-1970	[118]
12 March 1971		Hill-Norton PeterSir Peter Hill-Norton (later Lord Hill-Norton)	1915	2004	First Sea Lord 1970–1971 Chief of the Defence Staff 1971–73	[119]
1 March 1974		Pollock MichaelSir Michael Pollock	1916	2006	First Sea Lord 1971–1974	[120]
9 February 1977		Ashmore EdwardSir Edward Ashmore	1919	2016	First Sea Lord 1977-1977 Chief of the Defence Staff 1977	[121]
6 July 1979		Lewin TerenceSir Terence Lewin (later Lord Lewin)	1920	1999	First Sea Lord 1977–1979 Chief of the Defence Staff 1979–1982	[122]
1 December 1982		Leach HenrySir Henry Leach	1923	2011	First Sea Lord 1979–1982	[123]
2 August 1985		Fieldhouse JohnSir John Fieldhouse (later Lord Fieldhouse)	1928	1992	First Sea Lord 1982–1985 Chief of the Defence Staff 1985–1988	[124]
12 April 1988		HM King Olav V of Norway	1903	1991	honorary, to foreign royalty	[125]
25 May 1989		Staveley WilliamSir William Staveley	1928	1997	First Sea Lord 1985–1989	[126]
2 March 1992		Oswald JulianSir Julian Oswald	1933	2011	First Sea Lord 1989–1993	[127]
10 July 1995		Bathhurst BenjaminSir Benjamin Bathurst	1936		First Sea Lord 1993–1995	[128]
16 June 2012		WalesHRH The Prince of Wales	1948		Honorary rank	[129]
13 June 2014		Boyce MichaelThe Lord Boyce	1943		Chief of the Defence Staff 2001-2003. Honorary rank	[130]

See also[edit]

• Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom


• First Sea Lord

References[edit]

Sources[edit]

• 
  Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734–1995. Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.
  

External links[edit]

• 
  Media related to Royal Navy admirals of the fleet at Wikimedia Commons