Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom

The Lord High Admiral (of England beginning in the 14th century, later of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom)[1] is the ceremonial head of the Royal Navy. Most have been courtiers or members of British royal family, and not professional naval officers. The office of Lord High Admiral is one of the nine English Great Officers of State.

Not to be confused with First Lord of the Admiralty or First Sea Lord.

Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom
Flag of the Lord High Admiral
Incumbent
Vacant
since 9 April 2021
TypeGreat Officer of State
AppointerThe Monarch
Term lengthAt Her Majesty's Pleasure
Precursor
Formation
  • 1800 (United Kingdom)
  • 1707 (Great Britain)
  • 1385 (England)
First holderThe 3rd Earl of Arundel
as High Admiral of England, Ireland and Aquitaine
DeputyVice-Admiral of the United Kingdom

    History

    In 1385 Edward, Earl of Rutland, was appointed Admiral of England, uniting the offices of Admiral of the North and Admiral of the West, dating from 1294. From 1388 the offices of Admiral of the North and of the West were again distinct, though often held by the same man, until "Admirals of England" were appointed continuously from 1406.[2] The titles "High Admiral" and "Lord Admiral" were both used, eventually combining in "Lord High Admiral". The Lord High Admiral did not originally have command at sea, but had jurisdiction over maritime affairs and the authority to establish courts of Admiralty.[3]

    During the reign of Henry VIII (1509–47) the English Navy had expanded to a point where it could not be managed by a single Lord High Admiral alone, therefore day-to-day management of the navy was handed over to a committee that later became known as the Navy Board. The navy board had Samuel Pepys as one of its members during the reign of Charles II (1660–85), and it ran side-by-side with the Board of Admiralty.[4]

    From the early 17th century onwards, when an individual Lord High Admiral was appointed, there was also a Council of the Lord High Admiral which assisted him to perform some of the duties of the Admiralty. When this office was not occupied by an individual, it was "put into commission" and exercised by a Board of Admiralty headed by a First Lord of the Admiralty; this was the usual arrangement from 1709 until it was merged with the Admiralty in 1832.

    However, the office of Lord High Admiral, which—except for brief periods during its long history—had remained extant, was not abolished as an official naval post until 1964.[4] In 1964, the office of First Lord of the Admiralty was also abolished and the functions of the Lords Commissioners of Admiralty were transferred to the new Admiralty Board becoming a sub-committee (Navy) of the tri-service Defence Council of the United Kingdom. The ancient title of Lord High Admiral was resumed, by the sovereign personally.

    Elizabeth II held the title for the next 47 years, until in 2011 she conferred the office upon her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to celebrate his 90th birthday.[5] Philip had served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, but gave up a promising naval career to support Elizabeth as her consort.[6]

    Current status

    Upon Prince Philip's death in 2021, the holder of the office became obscure. It is unknown whether the office of Lord High Admiral reverted back to the Crown, or if it is currently vacant, in which case it remains as such until Her Majesty either assumes it (as she previously did in 1964[7]), or grants it upon someone else. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed they do not hold information on the issue, but suggest it has been resumed by the Queen in right of the Crown.[8]

    High Admirals of England, Ireland 1385–1512
    Name Term of office Ref
    Richard FitzAlan
    10th Earl of Arundel    		 1385 1388 [2]
    Edward
    1st Earl of Rutland & Cork
    Duke of Abermarle    		 1390 1397 [9]
    John Beaufort
    1st Earl of Somerset    		 1397 1398 [10]
    Thomas Percy
    1st Earl of Worcester    		 1398 1400 [11]
    Thomas Plantagenet
    1st Duke of Clarence    		 1404 1405 [12]
    John Beaufort
    1st Earl of Somerset    		 1406 1407 [2]
    Edmund Holland
    4th Earl of Kent    [2]    		 1407 1408 [2]
    Thomas Beaufort
    1st Duke of Exeter    		 1408 1426 [2]
    John of Lancaster
    1st Duke of Bedford    		 1426 1435 [2]
    John Holland
    2nd Duke of Exeter    		 1435 1447 [2]
    William de la Pole
    1st Duke of Suffolk    		 1447 1450 [2]
    Henry Holland
    3rd Duke of Exeter    		 1450 1460 [2]
    Richard Neville
    16th Earl of Warwick    		 1461 1462 [2]
    William Neville
    1st Earl of Kent    		 1462 1462 [2]
    Richard Plantagenet
    1st Duke of Gloucester    		 1462 1470 [2]
    Richard Neville
    16th Earl of Warwick    		 1470 1471 [2]
    Richard Plantagenet
    1st Duke of Gloucester    		 1471 1483 [2]
    John Howard
    1st Duke of Norfolk    		 1483 1485 [2]
    John de Vere
    13th Earl of Oxford    		 1485 1512 [2]

    Lord Admirals of England, 1512–1638
    Name Term of office Ref
    Sir Edward Howard 1512 1513 [2]
    Thomas Howard
    2nd Earl of Surrey    		 1513 1525 [2]
    Henry FitzRoy
    1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset    		 1525 1536 [2]
    William FitzWilliam
    1st Earl of Southampton    		 1536 1540 [2]
    John Russell
    1st Lord Russell    		 1540 1542 [2]
    John Dudley
    1st Viscount Lisle    		 1542 1546 [2]
    Thomas Seymour
    1st Lord Seymour of Sudeley    		 1546 1549 [2]
    John Dudley
    1st Earl of Warwick    		 1549 1550 [2]
    Edward Clinton
    9th Lord Clinton    		 1550 1554 [2]
    William Howard
    1st Lord Howard of Effingham    		 1554 1558 [2]
    Edward Clinton
    1st Earl of Lincoln    		 1558 1585 [2]
    Charles Howard
    1st Earl of Nottingham
    Baron Howard of Effingham before 1596
    Earl of Nottingham from 1596    		 1585 1619 [2]
    George Villiers
    1st Duke of Buckingham    		 1619 1628 [2]

    Lord High Admirals of England, 1638–1707
    Portrait Name Term of office Ref
    Algernon Percy
    10th Earl of Northumberland
    KG
    (1602–1668)    		 1638 1642
    Francis Cottington
    1st Lord Cottington
    PC
    (c. 1579–1652)    		 1643 1646
    Prince James
    The Duke of York
    KG
    (1633–1701)    		 1660 1673 [13]
    King Charles II
    (1630–1685)    		 1673 1673
    Prince Rupert
    The Duke of Cumberland
    KG PC FRS
    (1619–1682)    		 1673 1679
    In commission:[14]
    William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker
    Sir Thomas Lyttleton    		 1679 1684
    King Charles II
    (1630–1685)    		 1684 1685
    King James II
    (1633–1701)    		 1685 1688
    King William III
    (1650–1702)    		 1689 1689
    Arthur Herbert
    1st Earl of Torrington
    (c. 1648–1716)    		 1689 1689
    Thomas Herbert
    8th Earl of Pembroke
    KG PC
    (c. 1656–1733)    		 1701 1702
    Prince George
    The Duke of Cumberland
    KG PC
    (1653–1708)    		 1702 28 June 1707

    Lord High Admirals of Great Britain, 1707–1800

    Before 1707 there was an office of Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Following the Act of Union 1707, all jurisdictions were placed under the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain.

    Portrait Name
    (birth–death)    		 Term of office Ref
    Prince George
    The Duke of Cumberland
    KG PC
    (1653–1708)    		 28 June 1707 28 October 1708
    Queen Anne
    (1665–1714)    		 23 October
    1708    		 1708 [13]
    Thomas Herbert
    The Earl of Pembroke
    KG PC
    (c. 1656–1733)    		 1708 8 November 1709
    Office in commission 8 November 1709 31 December
    1800

    Lord High Admirals of the United Kingdom, 1801–present
    Portrait Name
    (birth–death)    		 Term of office Ref
    Office in commission 1 January
    1801    		 10 May
    1827
    Prince William Henry
    The Duke of Clarence
    (1765–1837)    		 10 May
    1827    		 19 September
    1828    		 [15]
    Office in commission 19 September
    1828    		 1 April
    1964    		 [16]
    Queen Elizabeth II
    (born 1926)    		 1 April
    1964    		 10 June
    2011    		 [7]
    Prince Philip
    The Duke of Edinburgh
    (1921–2021)    		 10 June
    2011    		 9 April
    2021    		 [17]
    see current status 9 April
    2021    		 — [8]

      Former command flags

      Tudor period
      • First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1554–1558) under Mary I and Philip II when on board a ship.
      • First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I (1545–1553, 1559–1603) when on board a ship.
      • First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1603–1625) under James VI and I when on board a ship.
      • Second command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1545–1625) when on board a ship.

      The earliest known instructions given to the Lord Admiral to fly command flags were given by King Henry VIII in 1545 the Lord Admiral was ordered to fly the flag of the arms of the King on the top of the main masthead with the flag of the cross of Saint George on the top of the front (fore) masthead.[18]

      See also

      References
      1. "Lord High Admiral's Divisions takes place at BRNC | Royal Navy". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Ministry of Defence, 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
      2. Houbraken, Jacobus; Thoyras, Paul de Rapin; Vertue, George (1747). The History of England, A List of Admirals of England, 1228-1745. J. and P. Knapton. p. 271.
      3. Kemp, Dear; Kemp, Peter, eds. (2007). "Lord High Admiral". The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191727504.
      4. Dear, edited by I.C.B.; Kemp, Peter (2007). "Lord High Admiral". The Oxford companion to ships and the sea (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199205684. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
      5. "The Duke of Edinburgh Appointed Lord High Admiral". royal.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
      6. "Prince Philip receives Navy title for 90th birthday". BBC News. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
      7. "No. 43288". The London Gazette. 3 April 1964. p. 2895. The QUEEN this day was graciously pleased to assume the title of Lord High Admiral [...]
      8. "Lord High Admiral (Freedom of Information)" (PDF). WhatDoTheyKnow. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021. A search for the requested information has now been completed within the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and I can confirm that no information in scope of your request is held. [...] you may find it helpful to note that Her Majesty The Queen bestowed the appointment of Lord High Admiral on His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Edinburgh, via Letters Patent, on his 90th Birthday (10 Jun 2011). As the title of Lord High Admiral is not hereditary and was resumed by the sovereign personally in 1964, upon the Death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh it will have been subsumed back into the Crown. As this title is personally held by Her Majesty, it is within her gift to decide if it remains with the Crown or if it will be awarded to another individual.
      9. Schomberg, Isaac (1802). Naval Chronology: Or, An Historical Summary of Naval & Maritime Events, from the Time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace, 1802. T. Egerton. p. 188. Sir Nicholas Tamworth, Admiral of the North.
      10. Schomberg, Isaac (1802). Naval Chronology: Or, An Historical Summary of Naval & Maritime Events, from the Time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace, 1802. T. Egerton. p. 188. Sir Nicholas Tamworth, Admiral of the North.
      11. Schomberg, Isaac (1802). Naval Chronology: Or, An Historical Summary of Naval & Maritime Events, from the Time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace, 1802. T. Egerton. p. 188. Sir Nicholas Tamworth, Admiral of the North.
      12. Schomberg, Isaac (1802). Naval Chronology: Or, An Historical Summary of Naval & Maritime Events, from the Time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace, 1802. T. Egerton. p. 188. Sir Nicholas Tamworth, Admiral of the North.
      13. National Archives, Kew, ref. ADM 4/410 List of the Lords High Admiral and Commissioners for executing that Office, which have been appointed since the year 1660 (1915)
      14. "No. 1485". The London Gazette. 9 February 1679. p. 2.
      15. "No. 18360". The London Gazette. 11 May 1827. p. 1033.
      16. "No. 18506". The London Gazette. 19 September 1828. p. 1733.
      17. "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11437314"
      18. Perrin, W. G. (William Gordon) (1922). "Flags of Command". British flags, their early history, and their development at sea; with an account of the origin of the flag as a national device. Cambridge, England: Cambridge : The University Press. p. 77.

      Sources
      • Houbraken, Jacobus. Thoyras, Paul de Rapin. Vertue, George. (1747). The History of England, A List of Admirals of England (1224-1745). England. Kanpton. P and J.
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