Military service by British royalty

Many members of the British Royal Family have seen service in British or other Commonwealth armed forces, 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 Royal was serving with the armed forces and the "current rank worn" column denotes any rank worn currently (notably honorary rank, 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===
Service information
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
William, Prince of Wales 
as Colonel of the Welsh Guards (2023) 	RN,British Army,RAF 	 Lieutenant RN,  Captain,  Squadron Leader	2005–2013 	Commander, Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander 	None 	Blues and Royals, No. 22 Squadron (RAF Search and Rescue Force)	Royal Military Academy SandhurstRAF 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
Charles III of the United Kingdom 
 
as Field marshal of the New Zealand Army (2015)	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
Wings badge|100px
Parachutist Badge
RAF pilot's flying badge/brevet (wings)	
 
 
(It should be noted 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
Wings badge|100px
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
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
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.
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
===Deceased Members of the Royal Family===
Service information
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
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
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).List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh#Decorations and medals 	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.
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 CollingwoodRoyal Naval Air ServiceRAF CranwellIndependent 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
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
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
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
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
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 	 	 	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 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 	
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
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).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.Prince William, Duke of Cambridge#Military and air ambulance service
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 Royals with no military service (honorary ranks)==
These Royals hold various ranks and royals, within HM Armed Forces, which are generally known as "Honorary Ranks". Listed below are only the British ones, 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.
Service information
Photograph of Royal	Name of royal 	Rank 	Naval Roles	Army Roles	Air Force Roles 	Uniform
150px
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
==See also==
*British royal family
*The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Armed Forces
*List of honours of the British royal family by country
*British Armed Forces
*United Kingdom
==References==
Category:Monarchy of the United Kingdom
Royal fam
Category:British royal family