page_title: First Lord of the Admiralty
section_title: Fictional First Lords
hierarchical_section_title: First Lord of the Admiralty / Fictional First Lords
caption_attribution_description: W H Smith as First Lord of the Admiralty, was a subject of derision even before H.M.S. Pinafore. This Punch cartoon comes from a year before Pinafore's première. The Caption reads: Admiral Superintendent Punch. "Well, Mr. Smith, I believe you have now seen everything—armour, turrets, torpedoes—everything! Of course you understand it all!!" First Lord. "Quite so, thank you. At least I—" (A little "queer.") "If you don't mind, I think I'll now go below." "The Lords of the Admiralty arrived at Portsmouth on their annual tour of inspection." — Morning Paper
context_page_description: The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the Royal Navy who was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs and responsible for the direction and control of Admiralty as well as general administration of the Naval Service of the United Kingdom, that encompassed the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and other services. It was one of the earliest known permanent government posts. Apart from being the political head of the Royal Navy the post holder simultaneously held the title of the President of the Board of Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral. The office of First Lord of the Admiralty existed from 1628 until it was abolished when the Admiralty, Air Ministry, Ministry of Defence and War Office were all merged to form the new Ministry of Defence in 1964.
context_section_description: The "Radical" First Lord, and a major character, in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), is Sir Joseph Henry Porter, KCB.  W. S. Gilbert wrote to Arthur Sullivan he did not intend to portray the real-life then First Lord, the bookseller and newsagent W. H. Smith, a Conservative, although some of the public, including Prime Minister Disraeli (who later referred to Smith as "Pinafore Smith"), identified Porter with him.  The counterparts shared a known lack of naval background.  It has been suggested the character was drawn on Smith's actual "Radical" predecessor of 1868–71, Hugh Childers.
caption: W. H. Smith portrayed in a Punch cartoon from 13 October 1877 when First Lord, saying: "I think I'll now go below." In Pinafore, Sir Joseph Porter similarly sings: "When the breezes blow / I generally go below".
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