Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet is a rank of the British Royal Navy and is the senior most Admiral of the naval service, the equialvent to a Fleet Admiral.
The rank evolved from the ancient sailing days of British Navy Squadrons. Each British Squadron was designated a color, that of Red, White, or Blue. Each colored squadron was assigned an Admiral, who in turn had command over a Vice Admiral and a Rear Admiral. The Admiral of the Fleet, therefore, commanded the Admirals of the various squadrons and thus, the entirety of the Fleet.
Admiral of the Fleet is also used as a title in some of the world's militaries which is given to an admiral who is the senior most officer of the fleet or Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. In the German Kriegsmarine of the Second World War, the rank was referred to as Grand Admiral.
See also: Fleet Admiral (US)
Admirals of the Fleet
- 1811 - HRH Prince William, 1st Duke of Clarence (1765-1837)
- 1830 - William Williams-Freeman (1742-1832)
- 1893 - HRH Prince Alfred, 1st Duke of Edinburgh (1844-1900)
- John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher (1841-1920)
- 1907 - Sir Arthur Wilson (1842-1921)
- 1910 - HM King George V (1865-1936)
- 1915 - Sir Hedworth Meux (1856-1929)
- 1919 - David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (1871-1936)
- 1919 - Sir Henry Jackson (1855-1929)
- 1919 - John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe (1859-1935)
- 1919 - Rosslyn Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester-Wemyss (1864-1933)
- 1920 - Sir Cecil Burney (1858-1929)
- 1921 - Sir Frederick Sturdee (1859-1925)
- August 1921 - Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven (1854-1921)
- 1925 - Sir John de Robeck (1862-1928)
- 1930 - Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes (1872-1945)
- 1936 - HM King Edward VIII (1894-1972)
- 1936 - HM King George VI (1894-1952)
- 1939 - Sir Dudley Pound (1877-1943)
- 1943 - Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope (1883-1962)
- 1948 - Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape (1888-1981)
- 1952 - Sir Philip Vian (1894-1968)
- 1953 - HRH Prince Philip, 1st Duke of Edinburgh (b.1921)
- 1956 - Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900-1979)
- 1962 - Sir Caspar John (1903-1984)
- 1979 - Terence Lewin, Baron Lewin (1920-1999)
