# Military service by British royalty

Many members of the British royal family have seen service in the British Armed Forces or other Commonwealth militaries, and others hold honorary ranks or positions. This is a list detailing formal military service by members of the British royal family.
There is also a list of military titles, service appointments, and various job titles within the royal family, which is listed below. These roles are honorary and may, or may not, also be held by Royals who are ex-military or serving military persons.
For example, Princess Anne, whilst not having any military service, holds many ranks and roles within the British Armed Forces.

## List

The honorary ranks and titles are included in a separate column. The "rank whilst active" column dictates the rank worn and held whilst the person was serving with the armed forces and the "current rank worn" column denotes any rank worn currently (including honorary rank and promotions). Members of the royal family receive regular promotions even after their active service has ended.

### Key

A number of abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms are used, to save space:
* RN - Royal Navy
* RNR - Royal Navy Reserve
* RNVR - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
* RM - Royal Marines
* RAF - Royal Air Force
* MC - Military Cross

### Living members of the royal family

Individuals are sorted by the earliest year of service.
| Name of royal | Branch of service | Rank whilst active | Years of service | Current rank worn | Wartime service | Unit | Military training and qualifications | Medals | Appointments and other roles |
| Prince Edward, Duke of Kent as Colonel of the Scots Guards (2013) | British Army | Lieutenant-Colonel | 1955–1976 (Ret'd) | Field Marshal and Air Chief Marshal | None | Royal Scots Greys | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings) | Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG), Royal Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG), King George VI Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, United Nations Medal for the UNFICYP mission, Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Sierra Leone Independence Medal, Guyana Independence Medal and Canadian Forces' Decoration (with two clasps) (CD) | Personal Aide-de-Camp to The Queen, Colonel of the Scots Guards, Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Royal Colonel of 1st Battalion The Rifles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Lorne Scots Regiment, Canada, Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Honorary Air Chief Marshal and Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leuchars. |
| Prince Michael of Kent as a Honorary Vice-Admiral, Royal Naval Reserve | British Army | Major (Ret'd) | 1963–1981 | Vice-Admiral, Colonel, Air Marshal | None | 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Prince Michael is a qualified military pilot and wears the respective service's pilot badge with their uniform, i.e. when he is in RN uniform, he wears the Fleet Air Arm badge, likewise with Army - Army Air Corps wings and RAF - RAF wings | Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Canadian Forces' Decoration, United Nations Medal for UNFICYP, Order of Friendship (Russia), Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I and Order of the Sun (Peru) | Honorary Vice Admiral, Royal Naval Reserve, Colonel-in-Chief of The Essex and Kent Scottish (Canadian Forces), Senior Colonel of the King's Royal Hussars, Royal Honorary Colonel of the Honourable Artillery Company |
| Charles III of the United Kingdom as Field marshal of the British Army (2024) | RN, British Army and RAF | Commander, Flight Lieutenant | 1971–1976 | Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal, Marshal of the Royal Air Force | None | 845 Naval Air Squadron | Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Commando Training Centre Royal Marines Royal Air Force College, Cranwell Parachutist Badge RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings) | (Not all of these are regularly worn). | Field Marshal, Colonel-in-Chief, Colonel, Honorary Air Commodore, Air Commodore-in-Chief, Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, Royal Honorary Colonel, Royal Colonel, and Honorary Commodore of at least 32 military formations throughout the Commonwealth of Nations |
| Prince Andrew, Duke of York as Colonel-in-Chief of the Yorkshire Regiment | RN and RAF | Commander (Ret'd) | 1980–2001 | Vice Admiral, Air Commodore | Falklands War | 815 Naval Air Squadron | Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Commando Training Centre Royal Marines Fleet Air Arm pilot's wings Parachutist Badge | | (these titles have been returned to HM King) Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, Commodore in Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Honorary Air Commodore Royal Air Force Lossiemouth, Honorary Vice Admiral, Colonel-in-Chief of various units in the Canadian Forces, Colonel-in-Chief and Royal Colonel of various regiments in the British Armed Forces and Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. Personal Aide-de-Camp |
| Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh as Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary | RM | Acting Lieutenant (withdrew from training) | 1986–1987 | See appointments | None | N/A | Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (did not finish) | | Royal Honorary Colonel, of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry Royal Colonel, of the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles Commodore-in-Chief, of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Honorary Air Commodore Royal Air Force Waddington Colonel-in-Chief, of The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment Colonel-in-Chief, of The Prince Edward Island Regiment Colonel-in-Chief, of the Saskatchewan Dragoons |
| Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster | British Army | Major | 1998–2008 | Major (Ret'd) | Kosovo War, Iraq War | King's Royal Hussars | Royal Military College Sandhurst | General Service Medal, NATO Medal, Iraq Medal, Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal | None |
| William, Prince of Wales as Colonel of the Welsh Guards (2023) | RN, British Army, RAF | Commander RN, Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander | 2005–2013 | Commander, Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander | None | Blues and Royals, No. 22 Squadron (RAF Search and Rescue Force) | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst RAF Cranwell and shorter training course at Britannia Royal Naval College RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings) | | Commodore-in-Chief of HMNB Clyde; Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy Submarine Service; Commodore-in-Chief of Scotland; Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Valley; Colonel of the Welsh Guards; Colonel-in-Chief of Army Air Corps; Colonel-in-Chief of The Mercian Regiment |
| Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex as a Captain in Household Cavalry Regiment (Blues and Royals) (2013) | British Army | Captain | 2005–2015 | Major, Squadron Leader | Afghanistan | Blues and Royals, Household Cavalry, 1st Mechanised Brigade of the 3rd Mechanised Division, Army Air Corps, 662 Squadron of 3 Regiment | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Forward Air Controller Army Air Corps Pilot brevet RAF Regiment Shoulder Flash | | (these titles have been returned to HM King) Canadian Ranger; Captain General Royal Marines; Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington; Commodore-in-Chief of Small Ships and Diving |

### Deceased members of the royal family

Individuals are sorted by their earliest year of service.
| Name of royal | Branch of service | Rank whilst active | Years of service | Last rank worn | Wartime service | Unit | Military training and qualifications | Medals | Appointments and other roles |
| William IV of the United Kingdom† | RN | Rear-Admiral | 1780–1789 | N/A | American War of Independence | HMS Andromeda, HMS Pegasus | None | None | General of the British Army/Admiral of the Royal Navy |
| Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven† The Marquess of Milford Haven | RN | Admiral of the Fleet | 1868–1914 | | Anglo-Egyptian War, First World War | | HMS Royal Alfred | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George | First Sea Lord |
| George V of the United Kingdom† as Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1935) | RN | Commander | 1877–1891 | N/A | None | HMS Bacchante | None | None | Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy, Field Marshal of the British Army and Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
| George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven† The Marquess of Milford Haven | RN | Captain | 1904–1937 | | First World War | | Royal Naval College, Dartmouth | Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Order of St Vladimir, 4th class, with Swords, Knight of the Military Order of Savoy, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | |
| George VI of the United Kingdom† as Admiral of the Fleet during the Second World War | RN, RAF | Lieutenant (RN), Squadron Leader | 1909–1919 | (as monarch) Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal Marshal of the Royal Air Force | World War I | HMS Collingwood Royal Naval Air Service RAF Cranwell Independent Air Force | Britannia Royal Naval College RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings) | Royal Victorian Chain, 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches, Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal, King Edward VII Coronation Medal, King George V Coronation Medal, King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal (United Kingdom), War Medal 1939–1945, Canadian Forces' Decoration | Colonel-in-Chief – Commonwealth armies (Canadian Army, Australian Imperial Force/Australian Army Reserve, New Zealand Expeditionary Force) and Air Commodore-in-Chief of Commonwealth air forces (RCAF, RAAF, RNZAF); Field Marshal of the British Army/Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy/Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
| Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma† as Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy (1976) | RN | Admiral of the Fleet | 1913–1965 | | First World War, Second World War | Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia (SACSEA) 1943-1945 | Royal Naval College, Dartmouth | Knight of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, British War Medal, See list | Chief of the Defence Staff, First Sea Lord, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command, Chief of Combined Operations, Colonel of the Life Guards, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Marines |
| Edward VIII of the United Kingdom† as a Second Lieutenant during the First World War | British Army, RAF | Lieutenant | 1914–1918 | N/A | World War I | Grenadier Guards | Osborne Naval College, Royal Naval College at Dartmouth RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings) | Military Cross | Colonel-in-Chief – Commonwealth armies (Canadian Army, Australian Imperial Force/Australian Army Reserve, New Zealand Expeditionary Force) and Air Commodore-in-Chief of Commonwealth air forces (Royal Canadian Air Force, RAAF, RNZAF); Field Marshal of the British Army/Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy/Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
| Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester† as Governor General of Australia (c. 1945) | British Army | Major (last active service rank) | 1919-1937 (active service) and 1940-1945 (war service) | Honorary Captain of the RNVR, Field Marshal and Marshal of the Royal Air Force (after retiring from Army) | World War II, Battle of France | King's Royal Rifle Corps, 10th Royal Hussars, British Expeditionary Force | Royal Military College Sandhurst | None | Colonel in Chief-Gloucestershire Regiment, Colonel in Chief-Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Colonel-Ceylon Light Infantry, Colonel-Scots Guards, Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
| Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh† as Admiral of the Fleet | RN, British Army and RAF | Commander | 1940–1952 | Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal, Marshal of the Royal Air Force | World War II – Allied invasion of Sicily, Battle of Crete, Battle of Cape Matapan | British Pacific Fleet | Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Britannia Royal Naval College RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings) | War Medal 1939-1945 with Oak Leaf, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star with Rosette, Italy Star, Greek War Cross, Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with Palm (The above are the current ribbons worn). | Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom and Field Marshal of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force, Marshal of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Colonel-in-Chief-The Royal Canadian Regiment, Colonel-in-Chief - Army Cadet Force. |
| Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom† | Auxiliary Territorial Service, British Army | Subaltern (equivalent to Army Lieutenant), Junior Commander (equivalent to Army Captain) | 1945–1949 | | World War II ATS Service | None | None | War Medal 1939-1945 , Defence Medal | Ceremonial Colonel-in-Chief of Commonwealth armies and Air Commodore-in-Chief of Commonwealth air forces |
Notes
* Medals that are shown in the "Medals" column, generally only include awards that include a medal ribbon that is worn in uniform, as opposed to some decorations which may be represented by other means. Click or tap on the ribbon to see the name and details.
* Ranks that are shown in the "Rank whilst active" column are generally the highest rank achieved by the royal. Rank achieved later (i.e. after retirement from active service and movement to reserve list) is displayed in the "Current rank worn" column.
* Rank is received and awarded by members of the Royal Family in generally two ways:
* They receive a regular commission after undergoing officer training with one of the Armed Services at their respective establishments; (Britannia Royal Naval College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Royal Air Force College Cranwell).
* They are appointed to an honorary rank, either in addition to their regular rank or instead of, if they are not actively serving officers.
N.B. Upon leaving active service, royal members are generally promoted to the rank they would have received, if they had stayed in the Armed Services.

## Ranks and roles held by members of the royal family with no military service (honorary ranks)

These members of the royal family hold various honorary ranks within the British Armed Forces although having not served in the military before. Listed below are only those of the British military, but there are many more held throughout the Commonwealth.
These may include:
* Royal Colonel - an appointment made by the Monarch, to appointment of Colonel-in-Chief or Colonel of a regiment
* Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief and Honorary Air Commodores for the Royal Air Force
* Honorary Commodore-in-Chief for the Royal Navy.
| Photograph of Royal | Name of royal | Rank | Naval Roles | Army Roles | Air Force Roles | Uniform |
| In Household Cavalry uniform, as Colonel of Blues and Royals | Anne, Princess Royal | Admiral (2012), General, Air Chief Marshal | Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy, Commodore-in-Chief of HMNB Portsmouth, Admiral of the SCC | Colonel-in-Chief of the following: 2nd Btn, Mercian Regt), Royal Corps of Signals, KRH, RLC, RAVC, the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion & 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, Intelligence Corps Affiliated Colonel-in-Chief of: the Queen's Gurkha Signals, Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, Colonel of the Blues and Royals, Royal Honorary Colonel of the University of London OTC, Commandant-in-Chief of the FANY, | Honorary Air Commodore of: the University of London Air Squadron, RAF Brize Norton, | Uniform for all three services, the uniform worn is dependent upon the occasion (e.g. parade visit, working visit (e.g. to a ship), evening dinner, etc.) Plus any medals, qualification or trade badge may also be worn. |
| | Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh | None in own right, rank worn on occasion when acting in capacity as honorary rank (see right) | None | Colonel-in-Chief of the QARANC, RCAM/CAMUS, REME, Royal Colonel of 5th Battalion, The Rifles | Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Wittering | |

## Military service of English monarchs

A few English monarchs came to the throne from other countries and served in the armies of their home country. A few served in other armies during their exile.
Service information :
| Name of royal | Service | Wartime service |
| George I of Great Britain | Army of the Dutch Republic | Franco-Dutch War |
| William III of England | Army of the Dutch Republic | Glorious Revolution |
| James II of England | Imperial French and Spanish Empire armies; he later served as Lord High Admiral of the Royal Navy | 1652–1656 |
| Charles II of England | English Army – Commander of West Country 1640s and the Engagers | English Civil War |
| Charles I of England | English Army | English Civil War |
| Henry V of England | English Army | Hundred Years' War |
| William II of England | English Army | |
| William I of England | Army of the Normans | Norman invasion of England |