# Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)

Admiral of the Fleet is a five-star naval officer rank and the highest rank of the Royal Navy, formally established in 1688. 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. Apart from honorary appointments, no new admirals of the fleet have been named since 1995, and no honorary appointments have been made since 2014.

## History

The origins of the rank can be traced back to 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. The appointment gave the command of the English navy to one person for the first time; this evolved into the post of Admiral of the Fleet. In the days of sailing ships the admiral distinctions then used by the Royal Navy included distinctions related to the fleet being divided into three divisions – red, white, or blue. Each division was assigned at least one admiral, who in turn commanded a number of vice-admirals and rear admirals. While the full admirals were nominally equals, tradition gave precedence to the Admiral of the White who held the fleet rank in addition to his substantive role.

### Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

The Restoration era brought a general reorganisation of naval ranks and structure, including formalisation of the admiral of the fleet role. In a break with tradition the rank was awarded to the most senior Admiral of the Red, who retained this substantive rank while also serving as Admiral of the Fleet. Appointments were for life, remunerated via a £5 daily stipend and an annual allowance of £1,014 for the hiring and maintenance of servants. It was intended that only one officer would hold the rank at any time, with their presence aboard any naval vessel to be denoted by the flying of the Royal Standard from the main mast.
The ranks of Admiral of the Fleet and Admiral of the Red were formally separated from 1805, with an announcement in the London Gazette that "His Majesty [has] been pleased to order the Rank of Admirals of the Red to be restored" in His Majesty's Navy..." as a separate role. The same Gazette promoted 22 men to that rank. From the nineteenth century onward there were also occasional variations to the previous requirement that only one Admiral of Fleet could serve at one time. In 1821 George IV appointed Sir John Jervis as a second admiral of the fleet, to balance the Duke of Wellington's promotion as a second Field Marshal in the British Army. In 1830 King William IV increased the number of admirals of the fleet to three, though these additional lifetime postings subsequently lapsed. Between 1854 and 1857 there was no admiral of the fleet at all as the most senior naval officer of the time – Admiral of the Red Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin – was mentally ill and had not served at sea for forty-five years. In deference to Gosselin's seniority the position was instead left vacant until his death in 1857, whereupon it was filled by Admiral Charles Ogle.

### Twentieth century

The organisation of the British fleet into coloured squadrons was abandoned in 1864, though the rank of admiral of the fleet was maintained. The title of First Naval Lord was renamed First Sea Lord in 1904.
During the two World Wars a number of serving officers held active commissions as admirals of the fleet, as well as the First Sea Lord—e.g. Sir John Tovey.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was created an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1954, following the coronation of his wife Elizabeth II as Queen. This promotion was to a New Zealand rank, separate from the Royal Navy rank.
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 (now King Charles III) 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.

## Admirals of the Fleet

| Appointed | Image | Name | Born | Died | Notes | Reference |
| 24 September 1688 | | George Legge (later The Lord Dartmouth) | 1647 | 1691 | | |
| 30 May 1690 | | Edward Russell (later The Earl of Orford) | 1652 | 1727 | | |
| 28 April 1696 | | Sir George Rooke | 1650 | 1709 | circa | |
| 13 January 1705 | | Sir Cloudesley Shovell | 1650 | 1707 | | |
| 8 January 1708 | | Leake JohnSir John Leake | 1656 | 1720 | | |
| 21 December 1708 | | Fairborne StaffordSir Stafford Fairborne | 1666 | 1742 | circa | |
| 12 November 1709 | | Aylmer MatthewSir Matthew Aylmer (later The Lord Aylmer) | 1650 | 1720 | | |
| 14 March 1718 | | Byng GeorgeSir George Byng (later The Viscount Torrington) | 1663 | 1733 | | |
| 20 February 1734 | | Norris JohnSir John Norris | 1670 | 1749 | | |
| 1 July 1749 | | Ogle ChallonerSir Chaloner Ogle | 1681 | 1750 | | |
| 22 November 1751 | | Steuart JamesJames Steuart | 1690 | 1757 | | |
| March 1757 | | Clinton GeorgeGeorge Clinton | 1686 | 1761 | | |
| 30 July 1761 | | AnsonThe Lord Anson | 1697 | 1762 | | |
| 17 December 1762 | | Rowley WilliamSir William Rowley | 1690 | 1768 | circa | |
| 15 January 1768 | | Hawke EdwardSir Edward Hawke (later The Lord Hawke) | 1705 | 1781 | | |
| 24 October 1781 | | Luke O'KeefeJohn Forbes | 1714 | 1796 | | |
| 12 March 1796 | | HoweThe Earl Howe | 1726 | 1799 | | |
| 16 September 1799 | | Parker PeterSir Peter Parker, Bt. | 1721 | 1811 | | |
| 24 December 1811 | | Clarence and Saint AndrewsKing William IV | 1765 | 1837 | Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom 1827–1828 appointed at that time as The Duke of Clarence and St Andrews | |
| 19 July 1821 | | Saint VincentThe Earl of St Vincent | 1735 | 1823 | acting from May 1814 | |
| 28 June 1830 | | Williams-Freeman WilliamWilliam Williams-Freeman | 1742 | 1832 | | |
| 22 July 1830 | | GambierThe Lord Gambier | 1756 | 1833 | | |
| 22 July 1830 | | Pole CharlesSir Charles Pole, Bt. | 1757 | 1830 | | |
| 24 April 1833 | | Nugent CharlesSir Charles Nugent | 1759 | 1844 | | |
| 8 January 1844 | | Hawkins-Whitshed JamesSir James Hawkins-Whitshed | 1762 | 1849 | | |
| 9 November 1846 | | Martin GeorgeSir George Martin | 1764 | 1847 | | |
| 13 October 1849 | | Martin ThomasSir Thomas Byam Martin | 1773 | 1854 | | |
| 1 July 1851 | | Cockburn GeorgeSir George Cockburn (later the Cockburn Baronet) | 1772 | 1853 | | |
| 8 December 1857 | | Ogle CharlesSir Charles Ogle, Bt. | 1775 | 1858 | | |
| 25 June 1858 | | West JohnSir John West | 1774 | 1862 | | |
| 20 May 1862 | | Gage WilliamSir William Gage | 1777 | 1864 | | |
| 10 November 1862 | | Hamond GrahamSir Graham Hamond, Bt. | 1779 | 1862 | | |
| 27 April 1863 | | Austen FrancisSir Francis Austen | 1774 | 1865 | | |
| 27 April 1863 | | Parker WilliamSir William Parker, Bt. | 1781 | 1866 | | |
| 11 January 1864 | | Curtis LuciusSir Lucius Curtis | 1786 | 1869 | | |
| 12 September 1865 | | Cochrane ThomasSir Thomas Cochrane | 1789 | 1872 | | |
| 30 November 1866 | | Seymour GeorgeSir George Seymour | 1787 | 1870 | | |
| 30 January 1868 | | Gordon JamesSir James Gordon | 1782 | 1869 | On the Reserved List | |
| 15 January 1869 | | Bowles WilliamSir William Bowles | 1780 | 1869 | | |
| 2 July 1869 | | Sartorious GeorgeSir George Sartorius | 1790 | 1885 | | |
| 21 January 1870 | | Moresby FairfaxSir Fairfax Moresby | 1786 | 1877 | | |
| 20 October 1872 | | Stewart HoustonSir Houston Stewart | 1791 | 1875 | | |
| 11 December 1875 | | Wallis ProvoSir Provo Wallis | 1791 | 1892 | | |
| 22 January 1877 | | Codrington HenrySir Henry Codrington | 1808 | 1877 | | |
| 5 August 1877 | | Keppel HenrySir Henry Keppel | 1809 | 1904 | | |
| 27 December 1877 | | LauderdaleThe Earl of Lauderdale | 1803 | 1878 | | |
| 27 December 1877 | | Mundy RodneySir Rodney Mundy | 1805 | 1884 | | |
| 15 June 1879 | | Hope JamesSir James Hope | 1808 | 1881 | | |
| 15 June 1879 | | Symonds ThomasSir Thomas Symonds | 1813 | 1894 | | |
| 10 June 1881 | | Milne AlexanderSir Alexander Milne, Bt. | 1806 | 1896 | On the Retired List | |
| 1 December 1881 | | Elliot CharlesSir Charles Elliot | 1818 | 1895 | | |
| 29 April 1885 | | Ryder AlfredSir Alfred Ryder | 1820 | 1888 | | |
| 18 July 1887 | | WalesKing Edward VII | 1841 | 1910 | Honorary appointment to non-Navy royalty and at that time The Prince of Wales | |
| 1 May 1888 | | Hornby GeoffreySir Geoffrey Hornby | 1825 | 1895 | | |
| 8 December 1888 | | Hay JohnLord John Hay | 1827 | 1916 | First Naval Lord 1886 | |
| 2 August 1889 | | William IIEmperor William II | 1859 | 1941 | Honorary, to foreign royalty | |
| 13 February 1892 | | Commerell JohnSir John Commerell | 1829 | 1901 | | |
| 3 June 1893 | | EdinburghThe Duke of Edinburgh (later The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) | 1844 | 1900 | | |
| 20 February 1895 | | ClanwilliamThe Earl of Clanwilliam | 1832 | 1907 | | |
| 23 August 1897 | | Lyons AlgernonSir Algernon Lyons | 1833 | 1908 | | |
| 29 November 1898 | | Richards FrederickSir Frederick Richards | 1833 | 1912 | First Naval Lord 1893–1899 | |
| 13 January 1899 | | Salmon NowellSir Nowell Salmon | 1835 | 1912 | | |
| 3 October 1902 | | Erskine JamesSir James Erskine | 1838 | 1911 | | |
| 30 August 1903 | | Hotham CharlesSir Charles Hotham | 1843 | 1925 | | |
| 16 June 1904 | | Kerr WalterLord Walter Kerr | 1839 | 1927 | First Sea Lord 1899–1904 | |
| 20 February 1905 | | Seymour EdwardSir Edward Seymour | 1840 | 1929 | | |
| 5 December 1905 | | Fisher JohnSir John Fisher (later The Lord Fisher) | 1841 | 1920 | First Sea Lord 1905–1910 and 1914–1915 | |
| 1 March 1907 | | Wilson ArthurSir Arthur Wilson | 1842 | 1921 | First Sea Lord 1910–1911 | |
| 11 June 1908 | | Nicholas IITsar Nicholas II of Russia | 1868 | 1918 | Honorary, to foreign royalty | |
| 2 December 1908 | | Noel GerardSir Gerard Noel | 1845 | 1918 | | |
| 27 January 1910 | | Heinrich of PrussiaPrince Henry of Prussia | 1862 | 1929 | Honorary, to foreign royalty | |
| 30 April 1910 | | Fanshawe ArthurSir Arthur Fanshawe | 1847 | 1936 | | |
| 6 May 1910 | George V | King George V | 1865 | 1936 | | |
| 20 March 1913 | | May WilliamSir William May | 1849 | 1930 | | |
| 5 March 1915 | | Meux HedworthSir Hedworth Meux | 1856 | 1929 | | |
| 2 April 1917 | | Callaghan GeorgeSir George Callaghan | 1852 | 1920 | | |
| 3 April 1919 | | JellicoeThe Viscount Jellicoe (later The Earl Jellicoe) | 1859 | 1935 | First Sea Lord 1916–1918 | |
| 3 April 1919 | | Beatty DavidSir David Beatty (later The Earl Beatty) | 1871 | 1936 | First Sea Lord 1919–1927 | |
| 31 July 1919 | | Jackson HenrySir Henry Jackson | 1855 | 1929 | First Sea Lord 1915–1916 | |
| 1 November 1919 | | Wemyss RosslynSir Rosslyn Wemyss (later The Lord Wester Wemyss) | 1864 | 1933 | First Sea Lord 1918–1919 | |
| 24 November 1920 | | Burney CecilSir Cecil Burney (later the Burney baronet) | 1858 | 1929 | | |
| 5 July 1921 | | Sturdee DovetonSir Doveton Sturdee, Bt. | 1859 | 1925 | | |
| 19 August 1921 | | Milford HavenThe Marquess of Milford Haven | 1854 | 1921 | First Sea Lord 1912–1914. On the Retired List | |
| 31 July 1924 | | Madden CharlesSir Charles Madden, Bt. | 1862 | 1935 | First Sea Lord 1927–1930 | |
| 8 May 1925 | | Calthorpe SomersetSir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe | 1864 | 1937 | | |
| 24 November 1925 | | de Robeck JohnSir John de Robeck, Bt. | 1862 | 1928 | | |
| 21 January 1928 | | Oliver HenrySir Henry Oliver | 1865 | 1965 | | |
| 31 July 1929 | | Brock OsmondSir Osmond Brock | 1869 | 1947 | | |
| 8 May 1930 | | Keyes RogerSir Roger Keyes, Bt. (later The Lord Keyes) | 1872 | 1945 | | |
| 21 January 1933 | | Field FrederickSir Frederick Field | 1871 | 1945 | First Sea Lord 1930–1933 | |
| 31 July 1934 | | Tyrwhitt ReginaldSir Reginald Tyrwhitt, Bt. | 1870 | 1951 | | |
| 8 May 1935 | | Chatfield ErnleSir Ernle Chatfield (later The Lord Chatfield) | 1873 | 1967 | First Sea Lord 1933–1938 | |
| 21 January 1936 | | Edward VIIIKing Edward VIII | 1894 | 1972 | | |
| 12 July 1936 | | Kelly JohnSir John Kelly | 1871 | 1936 | | |
| 11 December 1936 | | George VIKing George VI | 1895 | 1952 | | |
| 21 January 1938 | | CorkThe Earl of Cork and Orrery | 1873 | 1967 | | |
| 29 June 1939 | | Backhouse RogerSir Roger Backhouse | 1878 | 1939 | First Sea Lord 1938–1939. On the Retired List | Order in Council of 3 July 1939 |
| 31 July 1939 | | Pound DudleySir Dudley Pound | 1877 | 1943 | First Sea Lord 1939–1943 | |
| 8 May 1940 | | Forbes CharlesSir Charles Forbes | 1880 | 1960 | | |
| 21 January 1943 | | Cunningham AndrewSir Andrew Cunningham (later The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope) | 1883 | 1963 | First Sea Lord 1943–1946 | |
| 22 October 1943 | | Tovey JohnSir John Tovey (later The Lord Tovey) | 1885 | 1971 | | |
| 8 May 1945 | | Somerville JohnSir James Somerville | 1882 | 1949 | | |
| 21 January 1948 | | Cunningham JohnSir John Cunningham | 1885 | 1965 | First Sea Lord 1946–1948 | |
| 22 October 1948 | | Fraser of North CapeThe Lord Fraser of North Cape | 1888 | 1981 | First Sea Lord 1948–1951 | |
| 20 March 1949 | | Willis AlgernonSir Algernon Willis | 1889 | 1976 | | |
| 22 April 1952 | | Power ArthurSir Arthur Power | 1889 | 1960 | | |
| 1 June 1952 | | Vian PhilipSir Philip Vian | 1894 | 1968 | | |
| 15 January 1953 | | EdinburghThe Duke of Edinburgh | 1921 | 2021 | Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom 2011–2021 | |
| 1 May 1953 | | McGrigor RhoderickSir Rhoderick McGrigor | 1893 | 1959 | First Sea Lord 1951–1955 | |
| 22 April 1955 | | Creasy GeorgeSir George Creasy | 1895 | 1972 | | |
| 22 October 1956 | | Mountbatten of BurmaThe Earl Mountbatten of Burma | 1900 | 1979 | First Sea Lord 1955–1959 Chief of the Defence Staff 1959–1965 | |
| 10 May 1960 | | Lambe CharlesSir Charles Lambe | 1900 | 1960 | First Sea Lord 1959–1960 | |
| 23 May 1962 | | John CasparSir Caspar John | 1903 | 1984 | First Sea Lord 1960–1963 | |
| 12 August 1968 | | Begg VarylSir Varyl Begg | 1908 | 1995 | First Sea Lord 1966–1968 | |
| 30 June 1970 | | Le Fanu MichaelSir Michael Le Fanu | 1913 | 1970 | First Sea Lord 1968–1970 | |
| 12 March 1971 | | Hill-Norton PeterSir Peter Hill-Norton (later The Lord Hill-Norton) | 1915 | 2004 | First Sea Lord 1970–1971 Chief of the Defence Staff 1971–1973 | |
| 1 March 1974 | | Pollock MichaelSir Michael Pollock | 1916 | 2006 | First Sea Lord 1971–1974 | |
| 9 February 1977 | | Ashmore EdwardSir Edward Ashmore | 1919 | 2016 | First Sea Lord 1974–1977 Chief of the Defence Staff 1977 | |
| 6 July 1979 | | Lewin TerenceSir Terence Lewin (later The Lord Lewin) | 1920 | 1999 | First Sea Lord 1977–1979 Chief of the Defence Staff 1979–1982 | |
| 1 December 1982 | | Leach HenrySir Henry Leach | 1923 | 2011 | First Sea Lord 1979–1982 | |
| 2 August 1985 | | Fieldhouse JohnSir John Fieldhouse (later The Lord Fieldhouse) | 1928 | 1992 | First Sea Lord 1982–1985 Chief of the Defence Staff 1985–1988 | |
| 12 April 1988 | | King Olav V of Norway | 1903 | 1991 | Honorary, to foreign royalty | |
| 25 May 1989 | | Staveley WilliamSir William Staveley | 1928 | 1997 | First Sea Lord 1985–1989 | |
| 2 March 1993 | | Oswald JulianSir Julian Oswald | 1933 | 2011 | First Sea Lord 1989–1993 | |
| 10 July 1995 | | Bathhurst BenjaminSir Benjamin Bathurst | 1936 | Living | First Sea Lord 1993–1995 | |
| 16 June 2012 | | WalesKing Charles III | 1948 | Living | Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom since 2022 Honorary appointment and at that time The Prince of Wales Assumed the rank in full capacity on the day following accession to the throne. | |
| 13 June 2014 | | Boyce MichaelThe Lord Boyce | 1943 | 2022 | First Sea Lord 1998–2001 Chief of the Defence Staff 2001–2003. Honorary rank | |