View source for Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)

The rank of '''Admiral of the Fleet''' was the highest officer rank in the [[Royal Navy]], equivalent to Field Marshal in the British Army.  The establishment was generally fixed at three during the Dreadnought period, and tended to be filled by the most senior officers of the rank of {{AdmRN}} as vacancies occurred.  Officers of outstanding merit could be specially promoted Admiral of the Fleet supernumerary to the establishment by Order-in-Council, either on the Active or Retired Lists.

==History==
The official name of the rank as stated on the commission was '''Admiral and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Fleet''' (or Her Majesty during the reign of a female monarch).<ref>See commission of [[John Arbuthnot Fisher, First Baron Fisher|Lord Fisher]]. Fisher Papers. Churchill Archives Centre. FISR 1/4/112. Former reference F.P. 188.</ref>

With the death of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas Byam Martin in October, 1854, the rank went into temporary abeyance.  The senior Admiral on the Active List, Admiral Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin, whilst he had enjoyed twenty-nine years of full pay, had subsequently been on half-pay (i.e. unemployed) for forty-five years, and was eighty-nine years old.  When he died in 1857, the next senior Admiral, Sir Charles Ogle, was promoted.  In 1862 a second Admiral of the Fleet was appointed, and a third in 1863.  Provided that the most senior officer on the Admirals' list had flown his flag at sea for two years or served as a Commander-in-Chief, he was guaranteed elevation to Admiral of the Fleet upon a vacancy arising.  However, in 1892 Admiral [[Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey|Sir Algernon F. de Horsey]] was passed over at the request of Queen Victoria in favour of Admiral [[John Edmund Commerell|Sir John E. Commerell]].<ref>Clowes.  '''VII'''.  pp. 13-14.</ref>

At least three Admirals were promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on the Retired List under the provisions of the [[Order in Council of 22 February, 1870]], namely [[Alexander Milne, First Baronet|Sir Alexander Milne, Bart.]], the Earl of Lauderdale, and Sir George R. Mundy.

In 1914 it was decided that in future "Admirals of the Fleet will be selected by His Majesty from the Admirals on the Active List who have served with distinction as Flag Officer, without regard to seniority."  At the same time the Board of Admiralty decided that the qualifications for the rank would be "To have served as First Sea Lord for upwards of twelve months, or to have commanded the principal Fleet, for a period of twelve months, or to have performed special war or other conspicuous service since the attainment of captain's rank."<ref>''Hansard'': [http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1916/aug/10/admirals-of-the-fleet-promotion#S5CV0085P0_19160810_HOC_85 HC Deb 10 August 1916 vol 85 c1207.]</ref>  At this time it was suggested by the [[Fourth Sea Lord]], Rear-Admiral [[William Christopher Pakenham|William C. Pakenham]], that "Opportunity might be taken to change the title to Fleet Marshal."<ref>Minute of 5 September, 1913, in docket entitled "Retirement of Officers not to be employed again."  ADM 1/8370/65.</ref>

==Permitted Retinue==
In 1888, a Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet was allotted the Secretary, Flag Lieutenant and Coxswain afforded all flag officers, Commodores First Class and Captains of the Fleet, as well as a generous twelve domestics &ndash; two more than an Admiral enjoyed.{{NLFeb88|p. 190}}

==Uniform==
From 21 March 1846 the epaulettes of an Admiral of the Fleet contained "pearl crescent and edging; three stars within the crescent and one star on the strap, above it crossed batons surmounted by a crown". On his coat he wore "four rows of five eigths of an inch distinction lace round the sleeve above the cuff".<ref>Circular, No. 14 dated 21 March 1846. {{TNA|ADM 7/890.}}</ref>

==Retirement==
The provisions of the [[Order in Council of 22 February, 1870]], set the retirement age of Admirals of the Fleet at seventy years old.<ref>Order in Council of 22 February, 1870.</ref>  In accordance with the provisions of the [[Order in Council of 16 July, 1914]], Admirals of the Fleet promoted to that rank after that date were to be retired five years from the date of such promotion, but not until they had reached the age of sixty-five.<ref>Order in Council of 16 July, 1914.</ref>

On 4 March, 1940, it was announced that King George VI had approved that in future all Admirals of the Fleet would be borne on the Active List and that all those on the Retired List would be restored to the Active List, and replaced on it with their original seniorities.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34807/pages/1393 no. 34807.  p. 1393.]  8 March, 1940.  Those replaced on the Active List were: [[Henry Francis Oliver|Oliver]], [[Osmond de Beauvoir Brock|Brock]], [[Roger John Brownlow Keyes, First Baron Keyes|Keyes]], [[Frederick Laurence Field|Field]] and [[Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, First Baronet|Tyrwhitt]].</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
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*{{ClowesVII}}
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[[Category:Royal Navy Officer Ranks]]
[[Category:Admirals of the Fleet (UK)|*]]