Naval Service
Components
Royal Navy Surface Fleet Fleet Air Arm Submarine Service Royal Navy Regulating Branch Royal Naval Reserve Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
Royal Marines (includes Royal Marines Reserve)
History
History of the Royal Navy
History of the Royal Marines
Future of the Royal Navy
Ships
Current Fleet
Current deployments
Historic ships
Personnel
The Admiralty
Senior Officers
Uniforms
Officer rank insignia
Ratings rank insignia
Related Civilian Agencies of the MOD
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. The Naval Service is the Naval branch of the British Armed Forces, which includes civilian agencies under the control of the Navy Board. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Surface Fleet is the name given to the collection of surface vessels (as opposed to Submarines or Aircraft) of the British Royal Navy. The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships The Royal Navy Submarine Service is the collective name given to the Submarine element of the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy Police ( RNP) or Royal Naval Police, formerly known as the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, is the Military police branch of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service ( QARNNS) is the Nursing branch of the British Royal Navy. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy The role of the Royal Marines Reserve ( RMR) of the United Kingdom is to support the regular Royal Marines[http //www The British Royal Navy was formally created after the Union between England and Scotland in 1707 which merged the English Navy with the Royal Scots Navy The Corps of Royal Marines, the Infantry land fighting element of the Royal Navy, was formed as part of the naval service in 1755 At the beginning of the 1990s the Royal Navy was a force designed for the Cold War - with its three small aircraft carriers and a force of ASW frigates and destroyers its main This is a list of active Royal Navy ships, complete and correct as of July 2008 Although the majority of the Royal Navy fleet unless required remains training and exercising in and around Home Waters the Navy has a number of standing commitments including those Fictional Many novels about the Royal Navy feature fictional ships, but most use real names. This is a list of senior officers of the Royal Navy. Lord High Admirals 1413&ndash1628 Thomas Beaufort Duke of Exeter 1413&ndash1426 The uniforms of the Royal Navy have evolved gradually since the first uniform regulations for officers were issued by Lord Anson in 1748 Officers Uniforms for naval officers were not authorised until 1748 Trade (Branch Badges Ratings in the Royal Navy also carry trade badges on the right sleeve to indicate their specific job (the information carried on the left arm is the individual's The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters The Royal Fleet Auxiliary ( RFA) is a component of the Naval Service that keeps the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom running around the world Organisation The RMAS merged with the former Port Auxiliary Service in 1976 to form a component of the Naval Service that is known as Marine Services The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty.

In 1964 the functions of the Admiralty were transferred to a new Admiralty Board, which is a committee of the tri-service Defence Council of the United Kingdom and part of the Ministry of Defence. For the Admiralty Board of Imperial Russia see Admiralty Board (Russia. The Defence Council of the United Kingdom is the body legally entrusted with the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories and with control over the The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters The new Admiralty Board meets only twice a year, and the day-to-day running of the Royal Navy is controlled by a Navy Board (not to be confused with the historical Navy Board described later in this article). The Navy Board is today the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the British Royal Navy. It is now uncommon for the various authorities now in charge of the Royal Navy to be referred to simply as The Admiralty.

The title of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom is now vested in the Sovereign. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy However, there continues to be a Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom and a Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom, both of which are honorary offices. The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is a now honorary office generally held by a senior (possibly retired Royal Navy Admiral. The Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is a now honorary office generally held by a senior (possibly retired Royal Navy Admiral.

History

Flag of the Lord High Admiral

The office of Admiral of England (or Lord Admiral and later Lord High Admiral) was created around 1400, though there were before this Admirals of the Northern and Western Seas. In 1546 King Henry VIII established the Council of the Marine, later to become the Navy Board, to oversee administrative affairs of the naval service. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Navy Board is today the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the British Royal Navy. Operational control of the Navy remained the responsibility of the Lord High Admiral, who was one of the nine Great Officers of State. In the United Kingdom, the Great Officers of State are traditional Crown ministers who either inherit their positions or are appointed to exercise certain largely

In 1628, Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission and control of the Royal Navy passed to a committee in the form of the Board of Admiralty. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. The office of Lord High Admiral passed a number of times in and out of commission until 1709, after which the office was almost permanently in commission (the last Lord High Admiral being the future King William IV in the early 19th century). William IV (William Henry 21 August 1765 &ndash 20 June 1837 was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until

In 1831 the Navy Board was abolished as a separate entity and its duties and responsibilities were given over to the Admiralty.

In 1964 the Admiralty was subsumed into the Ministry of Defence along with the War Office and the Air Ministry. The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force. Within the expanded Ministry of Defence are the new Admiralty Board, Army Board and Air Force Board, each headed by the Secretary of State for Defence. The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. As mentioned above, there is also a new Navy Board in charge of the day-to-day running of the Royal Navy.

The Board of Admiralty

When the office of Lord High Admiral was in commission, as it was for most of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries until it reverted to the Crown, it was exercised by a Board of Admiralty, officially known as the Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, &c. Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government (alternatively of England, Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland depending on the period). The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927

The Board of Admiralty consisted of a number of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy. The Lords Commissioners were always a mixture of admirals, known as Naval Lords or Sea Lords, and Civil Lords, normally politicians. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers The quorum of the Board was two commissioners and a secretary. In Law, a quorum is the minimum number of members of a Deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group

The president of the Board was known as the First Lord of the Admiralty, who was a member of the Cabinet. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy. In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister After 1806, the First Lord of the Admiralty was always a civilian, while the professional head of the navy came to be (and is still today) known as the First Sea Lord. The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service.

Admiralty buildings

The Old Admiralty or Ripley Building.

The Admiralty complex lies between Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall and includes five buildings. Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional Horse Guards Parade is a large parade ground off Whitehall in central London, at grid reference. The Mall (ˈmæl in London is the road running from Buckingham Palace at its western end to Admiralty Arch and on to Trafalgar Square Since the Admiralty no longer exists as a department, these are now used as an "office bank" by the British government:

The Admiralty

The oldest building, this was long known simply as The Admiralty, and is now referred to popularly as the Old Admiralty and officially as the Ripley Building. Thomas Ripley (1682] - February 10, 1758) was an English Architect.

The Admiralty complex in 1794. The different colours indicate different departments or residences for the several Lords of the Admiralty. The pale coloured extension behind the small courtyard on the left is Admiralty House.

It is a three storey u-shaped brick building, and completed in 1726. Alexander Pope implied the architecture is rather dull, lacking either the vigour of the baroque style which was fading from fashion at the time, or the austere grandeur of the Palladian style which was just coming into vogue. Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744 is generally regarded as the greatest English Poet of the eighteenth century best known for his Satirical Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc PLEASE DO NOT ADD AN INFO BOX TO THIS PAGE --> Palladian architecture is a European style of Architecture derived from the designs of the Italian It is mainly notable for being perhaps the first purpose built office building in Great Britain. It contained a board room, other state rooms and offices and apartments for the Lords of the Admiralty. Robert Adam designed the screen which was added to the entrance front in 1788. Robert Adam ( 3 July 1728 &ndash 3 March 1792) was a Scottish neoclassical Architect, Interior designer Nowadays the Ripley Building is allocated to the Cabinet Office and contains government function rooms. The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United

Admiralty House

Admiralty House is a moderately proportioned mansion to the south of the Ripley Building, built in the late 18th century as the residence of the First Lord of the Admiralty, serving that purpose until 1964. Admiralty House in London was designed by Sir Robert Taylor and his protege Samuel Pepys Cockerell and opened in 1786 Winston Churchill was one of its occupants. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 It lacks its own entrance from Whitehall, and is entered through the Ripley Building. It is a three storey building in yellow brick with neo-classicistic interiors. Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century both as a reaction against the Rococo Its rear facade faces directly onto Horse Guards Parade. The architect was Samuel Pepys Cockerell. Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1754 - 1827 was an English Architect and an employee of the East India Company. There are now three ministerial flats in the building [1].

The Admiralty Extension (which is also one of the two buildings which are sometimes referred to as the "Old Admiralty") dates from the turn of the 20th century.

Old Admiralty Building (or Admiralty Extension or OAB)

This is the largest of the Admiralty Buildings. It was begun in the late 19th century and redesigned while the construction was in progress to accommodate the extra offices needed due to the naval arms race with the German Empire. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification It is red brick building with white stone detailing in the Queen Anne style with French influences. The Queen Anne Style is a style of architecture, furniture and decoration that reached its greatest popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century manifesting itself in It is now used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting

Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff refer to the building as the OAB (Old Admiralty Building).

Admiralty Arch

Admiralty Arch is linked to the Old Admiralty Building by a bridge. Admiralty Arch is a large office building in London which incorporates an archway providing road and Pedestrian access between The Mall, which extends to In architectural terms, it is part of the ceremonial route from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. It contains further office space currently used by the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United

The Admiralty Citadel

This is a squat windowless World War II fortress north west of Horse Guards Parade, now covered in ivy. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including See Military citadels under London for further details. A number of military citadels are known to have been constructed underground in central London, dating mostly from the Second World War and the Cold War

"Admiralty" as a metaphor for "sea power"

In some cases, the term admiralty is used in a wider sense, as meaning sea power or rule over the seas, rather than in strict reference to the institution exercising such power. Naval warfare is Combat in and on Seas Oceans or any other major bodies of water such as large Lakes and wide Rivers History For example, the well-known lines from Kipling's Song of the Dead:

If blood be the price of admiralty, Lord God, we ha' paid in full!

See also

• List of Lord High Admirals and First Lords of the Admiralty
• List of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
• Lord High Admiral of Scotland
• Admiralty administration

References

• Bradley, Simon, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet This is a List of Lord High Admirals and First Lords of the Admiralty of England, Great Britain and then the United Kingdom. This is a list of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660 The Lord High Admiral of Scotland was one of the Great Offices of State of Scotland before the Union with England in 1707 The administration of the British Admiralty consists of the following branches and officers Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, ( January 30, 1902 &ndash August 18, 1983) was a German-born British scholar of London 6: Westminster (from the Buildings of England series). New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2003. Yale University Press is a book Publisher founded in 1908. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remained ISBN 0-300-09595-3.