Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in an army

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

. It is in common use in several

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

armies, where it is held by the regiment's

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

, usually a member of the royal family. Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to the position, appointing animals or characters as colonel-in-chief. The

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

, for example, appointed a

king penguin The king penguin (''Aptenodytes patagonicus'') is the second largest species of penguin, smaller than but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin. King penguins mainly eat lanternfish, squid, and krill. On foraging trips, king pen ...

named Sir Nils Olav as a colonel-in-chief.Norwegian Consulate in Edinburgh.

History

Historically a ''colonel-in-chief'' was the ceremonial head of a

, usually a member of a European country's royal family. The practice extends at least back to 1740 in

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

when Frederick II held that position () in the newly created Garde du Corps, an elite heavy cavalry regiment. By the late 19th century the designation could be given to the children of royalty; there are pictures of the daughters of Russian Czar

Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...

in the uniforms of their regiments. The German Kaiser

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

carried the title to an extreme, holding it in dozens of German and (by diplomatic courtesy) Austro-Hungarian (called ''

Inhaber ''Inhaber'', or Proprietor, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a weal ...

''), British, Russian, and Portuguese regiments. His mother, wife, son, and daughters were also full or deputy colonels-in-chief of various units.

Role

In modern usage, the colonel-in-chief of a

is its (usually royal)

, who has a ceremonial role in the life of the regiment. They do not have any operational role, or the right to issue orders, but are kept informed of all important activities of the regiment and pay occasional visits to its units. The chief purpose of the colonel-in-chief is to maintain a direct link between the regiment and the royal family. Some

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

regiments have a captain-general instead of a colonel-in-chief, but the posts are essentially the same. The position of colonel-in-chief is distinct from the other ceremonial regimental posts of

colonel of the regiment Colonel (Col) is a rank of the British Army and Royal Marines, ranking below Brigadier (United Kingdom), brigadier, and above Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), lieutenant colonel. British colonels are not usually field commanders; typically ...

and honorary colonel, which are usually retired military officers or public figures with ties to the regiment. Colonels-in-chief are appointed at the invitation of the regiment. While it is traditional for a royal personage to hold the position, it is at the discretion of each regiment whom they invite. , most colonels-in-chief in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

are members of the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

. However, one foreign monarch holds the position: *

Abdullah II of Jordan Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...

–

The Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northe ...

In the past non-royal persons have held, or been invited to hold, the post of colonel-in-chief. The

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

was colonel-in-chief of the regiment that bore his name. The

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson ( zh, c=伍冰枝; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26th governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as a refuge ...

was invited to be colonel-in-chief of

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

, while the

Royal Australian Army Medical Corps The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC) is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 through the amalgamation of medical units of the various Australian colon ...

decided to ask the Governor-General of Australia to serve as its colonel-in-chief. The role has spread to other armies in the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

, at least in countries which have royal families.

List of colonels-in-chief

United Kingdom

Royal Navy (styled Commodore-in-Chief)

* Plymouth, Royal Naval Command –

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

* Aircraft Carriers – King Charles III *

Royal Navy Medical Service The Royal Navy Medical Service (RNMS), also termed the Royal Naval Medical Service is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for providing 'comprehensive healthcare to ships, submarines and Royal Marine personnel at sea and on land'. It inc ...

–

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service The Royal Naval Chaplaincy Service provides chaplains to the Royal Navy. The chaplains are commissioned by the Sovereign but do not hold military rank other than that of "Chaplain Royal Navy". The senior chaplain in the Royal Navy is the Chap ...

– Queen Camilla *

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

–

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his pat ...

Submarines A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or info ...

– William, Prince of Wales *

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

–

Catherine, Princess of Wales Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Catherine grew ...

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...

–

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of King ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

–

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...

* Maritime Reserves –

Prince Michael of Kent Prince Michael of Kent (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British royal family who is 53rd in line to the British throne as of 2025. The younger son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Gr ...

* Small Ships and Diving – ''vacant'' *

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

– King Charles III (styled

Captain General Royal Marines Captain General Royal Marines is the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines. The current Captain General is King Charles III. The uniform and insignia currently worn by the Captain General are those of a Field Marshal. This position is distinct ...

) * Women in the Royal Navy – Anne, Princess Royal (styled Chief Commandant)

British Army

=Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps

Household Cavalry

* The Life Guards – King Charles III ** Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne (Colonel of the Regiment) * The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) – King Charles III **Anne, Princess Royal (Colonel of the Regiment)

Line Cavalry

* 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards – Catherine, Princess of Wales * The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) – King Charles III **

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George ...

(Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) * The Royal Dragoon Guards – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh **

Katharine, Duchess of Kent Katharine, Duchess of Kent (born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley; 22 February 1933) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V. The Duchess of Kent converted to Catholicism i ...

(Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) * The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh * The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) – Queen Camilla * The King's Royal Hussars – Anne, Princess Royal *

–

King Abdullah II of Jordan Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...

Royal Tank Regiment

* The Royal Tank Regiment – King Charles III

Yeomanry

* The Royal Yeomanry – ''vacant'' **

Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family and the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and ...

(Royal Honorary Colonel) *

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) is a reserve armoured regiment of the British Army consisting of five squadrons, with the regimental headquarters based at Bovington Camp, Dorset. The regiment is part of 3rd (UK) Division and provides battle c ...

– ''vacant'' **Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Royal Honorary Colonel) * The Queen's Own Yeomanry – ''vacant'' **Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (Royal Honorary Colonel) * The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry – ''vacant''

=Infantry

Foot Guards

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

– King Charles III **Queen Camilla (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

– King Charles III ** Sir James Bucknall (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Ki ...

– King Charles III **Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Irish Guards The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...

– King Charles III **Catherine, Princess of Wales (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards (WLSH GDS; ), part of the Guards and Parachute Division, Guards Division, is one of the Foot guards, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the World War I, First ...

– King Charles III **William, Prince of Wales (Colonel of the Regiment) *

London Guards The London Guards is an administrative formation within the British Army comprising the reserve companies of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots and Irish Guards. On formation, these companies drew their personnel from the London Regiment, which ...

– ''vacant'' **Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel of the Regiment)

Line Infantry and Rifles

The Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS) is the senior and only current Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each f ...

– King Charles III **Anne, Princess Royal (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) **Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland – King Charles III **52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland – Anne, Princess Royal **51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland – King Charles III * The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) – ''vacant'' * The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) – King Charles III * The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent *

The Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the line regiments now operating in the Bri ...

–

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the youngest ...

* The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) – ''vacant'' * The Royal Welsh – King Charles III * The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) – William, Prince of Wales * Royal Irish Regiment –

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones; 20 January 1965) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, the youngest sibling of King Charles III. Sophie grew up in Brenchley, ...

The Royal Gurkha Rifles The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British Army, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unit ...

– King Charles III *

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions. Each Regular battalion was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the ...

– Queen Camilla **1st Battalion – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Royal Colonel) **2nd Battalion – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Royal Colonel) **3rd Battalion – Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Royal Colonel) **5th Battalion – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (Royal Colonel) **6th Battalion – Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Royal Colonel) **7th Battalion – Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester (Royal Colonel)

Airborne Infantry

* The Parachute Regiment – King Charles III

Special Operations

* Ranger Regiment – ''vacant'' **1st Battalion – Anne, Princess Royal **4th Battalion – Queen Camilla

= Special Forces

= *

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...

– ''vacant'' *

Special Reconnaissance Regiment The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a special forces unit of the British Army that provides advanced and specialist surveillance and special reconnaissance capabilities. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United King ...

– Queen Camilla

=Combat Support and Army Air Corps

= * Army Air Corps – William, Prince of Wales *

Royal Regiment of Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

– King Charles III (styled Captain-General) *

Corps of Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

– King Charles III *

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

– Anne, Princess Royal **

Queen's Gurkha Signals The Queen's Gurkha Signals (QG SIGNALS) is a regular unit of Royal Corps of Signals, one of the combat support arms of British Army. Together with the Queen's Gurkha Engineers, the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, and ...

– Anne, Princess Royal * Intelligence Corps – Anne, Princess Royal *

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

– King Charles III (styled Captain-General) **Prince Michael of Kent (Royal Honorary Colonel) * Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) – ''vacant'' **Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Royal Honorary Colonel)

=Combat Service Support

= *

Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. History The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: * Royal Engine ...

– Anne, Princess Royal **Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) **Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) ** 10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment – Anne, Princess Royal * Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh *

Adjutant General's Corps The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services, named for the Adjutant-General to the Forces (now the Commander Home Command). As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 peop ...

–

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester (born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen; 20 June 1946) is a Danish-born member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a grandson of George V, King George V. Early life ...

**Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) **Staff and Personnel Support – ''vacant'' ** Educational and Training Services – ''vacant'' ** Army Legal Services – ''vacant'' **Provost Branch – ''vacant'' ***

Royal Military Police The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operations ...

– King Charles III ***

Military Provost Staff The Military Provost Staff are the British Army's specialists in custody and detention, providing advice inspection and surety within custodial establishments. The MPS form part of the Adjutant General's Corps and are based at the Military Corre ...

– ''vacant'' *** Military Provost Guard Service – ''vacant'' *

Royal Corps of Army Music The Royal Corps of Army Music (RCAM, widely known by its former acronym CAMUS) is a Corps of the British Army dedicated to the provision and promotion of military music. History The formation of the Corps of Army Music was triggered by a defen ...

– Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh *

Royal Army Chaplains' Department The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD) is an all-officer department that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army. History The Army Chaplains' Department (AChD) was formed by Royal Warrant of 23 September 1796; until the ...

''vacant'' *

Small Arms School Corps The Small Arms School Corps (SASC) is a small corps of the British Army, established in 1853 by Lord Hardinge. Its personnel provide advice and instruction to infantry weapon trainers throughout the army, in order to maintain proficiency in th ...

– ''vacant'' *

Royal Army Physical Training Corps The Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC) is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education and has been headquartered in Aldershot since its foundation in 1860. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Traini ...

– ''vacant'' *

General Service Corps The General Service Corps (GSC) is a corps of the British Army. Role The role of the corps is to provide specialists, who are usually on the Special List or General List. These lists were used in both World Wars for specialists and those not allo ...

– ''vacant''

Army Medical Services

Royal Army Medical Service The Royal Army Medical Service (RAMS) is a specialist corps in the British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigad ...

– Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester * Royal Army Veterinary Corps – Anne, Princess Royal

= Overseas Regiments

= * The Royal Gibraltar Regiment –

Governor of Gibraltar The governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territories, British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of ...

(''ex officio'') * The Royal Bermuda Regiment – Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester *

Royal Montserrat Defence Force The Royal Montserrat Defence Force is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. The force has an authorized strength level objective of 50 reserve personnel as of 2021-22, akin in size ...

– ''vacant'' *

Cayman Islands Regiment The Cayman Islands Regiment is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. It is a Territorial Army (United Kingdom), territorial infantry and Combat engineer, engineer reserve unit of the British Armed Forces ...

– ''vacant'' * Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment – ''vacant'' *

Falkland Islands Defence Force The Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by the United Kingdom to ensure the security ...

– ''vacant''

Royal Air Force (styled Honorary Air Commodore)

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

– King Charles III (styled Air Commodore-in-Chief) *

RAF Regiment The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries-out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated ...

– King Charles III (styled Air Commodore-in-Chief) *

– Sir Stephen Dalton *

Royal Auxiliary Air Force The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), formerly the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), together with the Air Force Reserve, is a component of His Majesty's Reserve Air Forces ( Reserve Forces Act 1996, Part 1, Para 1,(2),(c)). It provides a primary re ...

– Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (styled Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief) *

Royal Air Force Air Cadets The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) is the combined volunteer-military youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force, which is formed by both the Air Training Corps and RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force. The organisation is head ...

– Catherine, Princess of Wales (styled Honorary Air Commandant) *

Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force. It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service (RAFNS) in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment ...

– Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (styled Air Chief Commandant) * RAF Ascension Island – ''vacant'' *

RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (; ) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akroti ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Benson Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force (RAF) List of Royal Air Force stations, station located at Benson, Oxfordshire, Benson, near Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a front-line st ...

– Prince Michael of Kent (styled Honorary Air Marshal) *

RAF Boulmer Royal Air Force Boulmer or more simply RAF Boulmer is a Royal Air Force station near Alnwick in Northumberland, England, and is home to Aerospace Surveillance and Control System (ASACS) Force Command, Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) Boulmer ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...

– Anne, Princess Royal *

RAF Coningsby Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and h ...

– Catherine, Princess of Wales (styled Royal Honorary Air Commodore) *

RAF Cosford Royal Air Force Cosford or RAF Cosford (formerly DCAE Cosford) is a Royal Air Force station near to the village of Cosford, Shropshire, England just to the northwest of Wolverhampton and next to Albrighton. It is a training station, home to ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the RAF Colleg ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Digby Royal Air Force Digby otherwise known as RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station located near Scopwick and south east of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincoln, in Lincolnshire, England. The station is home to the tri-s ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Gibraltar Royal Air Force Gibraltar or more simply RAF Gibraltar (also formerly known as North Front) is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station on Gibraltar. No military aircraft are currently stationed there, but RAF and aircraft o ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Halton Royal Air Force Halton, or more simply RAF Halton, is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom. It is located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. The site has been in use since the First World ...

– Queen Camilla * RAF Henlow – ''vacant'' * RAF High Wycombe – ''vacant'' * RAF Honington – ''vacant'' *

RAF Leeming Royal Air Force Leeming or more simply RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station located near Leeming, North Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 1940 and was jointly used by the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Between 1950 and 19 ...

– Queen Camilla *

RAF Lossiemouth Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland. Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Marham Royal Air Force Marham, commonly abbreviated RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Marham in the county of Norfolk, East Anglia. It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's ' ...

– King Charles III *

RAF Northolt Royal Air Force Northolt or more simply RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Odiham Royal Air Force Odiham or more simply RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift he ...

– Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester *

RAF Shawbury Royal Air Force Shawbury, otherwise known as RAF Shawbury, is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. History The First World War The station at Shawbury was first used for milita ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Spadeadam RAF Spadeadam (pronounced "Spade Adam") is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Cumbria, England, close to the border with Northumberland. It is the home of the 9,000 acre (36 km2) electronic warfare (EW) tactics range, making it the large ...

– ''vacant'' * RAF St Mawgan – ''vacant'' * RAF Syerston – ''vacant'' *

RAF Valley Royal Air Force Valley or more simply RAF Valley () is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides both basic and advanced fast-jet training using the Beechcraft Texan T. ...

– William, Prince of Wales (styled Royal Honorary Air Commodore) * RAF Waddington – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh *

RAF Wittering Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire ...

– Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh *

RAF Woodvale Royal Air Force Woodvale or more simply RAF Woodvale is a Royal Air Force Station located next to the towns of Formby and Ainsdale in an area called Woodvale which is located to the south of Southport, Merseyside. Woodvale was constructed a ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Wyton Royal Air Force Wyton or more simply RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is decommissioned and the station is now under the comm ...

– ''vacant'' * University of London Air Squadron – Anne, Princess Royal * 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester * 600 (City of London) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force –

Hugh Trenchard, 3rd Viscount Trenchard Hugh Trenchard, 3rd Viscount Trenchard, (born 12 March 1951), is a British soldier and businessman. In 1987, he succeeded to his father's titles. He is one of the ninety hereditary peers in the House of Lords, elected to sit after the passing o ...

* 612 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force –

Simon Arthur, 4th Baron Glenarthur Simon Mark Arthur, 4th Baron Glenarthur (born 7 October 1944), is a British peer, pilot and businessman. Having succeeded to his father's titles in 1976, he is one of the ninety hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the ...

* 4626 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Maxwell Aitken, 3rd Baron Beaverbrook * 7006 Squadron,

– Christopher Andrew * 7630 Squadron,

– David Cousins

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda Regiment The Antigua and Barbuda Regiment is the infantry unit and main fighting arm of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. Previously known as the Rifle Company, it was formed in 1995. The regiment main weapons include M-16 rifles and M60 machine guns ...

–

Australia

* Royal Australian Armoured Corps –

Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's f ...

– King Charles III (styled Captain General) * Corps of Royal Australian Engineers – ''vacant'' *

Royal Australian Corps of Signals The Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RASigs) is one of the 'arms' (combat support corps) of the Australian Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining, and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. The ...

–

Royal Australian Infantry Corps The Royal Australian Infantry Corps (RA Inf) is the parent corps for all infantry regiments of the Australian Army. It was established on 14 December 1948, with its Royal Corps status being conferred by His Majesty King George VI. At her corona ...

– ''vacant'' *

Royal Australian Corps of Transport The Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) is an administrative corps within the Australian Army. The RACT is ranked tenth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, and is the most senior logistics corps. It was formed on 1 June 1 ...

– Anne, Princess Royal *

– Governor-General of Australia (''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...

'') * Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps – ''vacant'' * Corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – ''vacant'' * Royal Australian Army Educational Corps –

Royal Australian Corps of Military Police The Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) is a corps within the Australian Army. Previously known as the Australian Army Provost Corps, it was formed on 3 April 1916 as the ANZAC Provost Corps. It is responsible for battlefield traf ...

–

* Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps – ''vacant''

Brunei Darussalam

Royal Brunei Armed Forces The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); (ABDB), Jawi script, Jawi: , is the official organisation and collective term for all of the military forces or service branches of the sultanate of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. The RBAF consists of three pr ...

–

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah (born 15 July 1946) is the Sultan of Brunei since 1967, and prime minister of Brunei since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the worl ...

(styled Supreme Commander)

Canada

Canadian Army

= Royal Canadian Armoured Corps

= *

Royal Canadian Dragoons The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) is the senior armoured regiment of the Canadian Army by precedence. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. The colonel-in-chief of the ...

–

Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (LdSH(RC)) is a regular armoured warfare, armoured regiment of the Canadian Army and is Canada’s only tank regiment. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of 3rd Canadian Division' ...

– King Charles III *

8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) The 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (VIII CH) is a reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Canadian Army, with two squadrons. It was formed on 4 April 1848 in the then-colony of New Brunswick, which remains the regiment's home to ...

–

* Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) –

South Alberta Light Horse The South Alberta Light Horse (SALH) is a Canadian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Army Reserve. It traces its complicated lineage to the Rocky Mountain Rangers, and claims its direct ancestry to the 15th Light Horse, along ...

–

* Saskatchewan Dragoons – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh

= Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

= *

The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canad ...

– ''vacant'' *

–

Royal 22nd Regiment The Royal 22nd Regiment (R22R; ) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Known colloquially in English as the Van Doos (representing an anglicized pronunciation of the French number twenty-two, ) or in French as , the mostly francophone re ...

– ''vacant'' * Queen's Own Rifles of Canada –

* Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada – King Charles III * Royal Regiment of Canada – King Charles III * Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh * Lincoln and Welland Regiment – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh * Grey and Simcoe Foresters – Anne, Princess Royal * Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) –

* Royal Winnipeg Rifles – King Charles III * Essex and Kent Scottish –

* Royal Regina Rifles – Anne, Princess Royal * Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) –

* Irish Regiment of Canada – King Charles III * Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) – King Charles III * Royal Newfoundland Regiment – Anne, Princess Royal

= Royal Canadian Engineers

= * 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgin's) – Earl of Elgin (''ex officio'')

= Personnel branches

= * Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery –

(styled Captain General) * Communications and Electronics Branch – Anne, Princess Royal * Royal Canadian Medical Service – Anne, Princess Royal * Royal Canadian Dental Corps –

Other organisations

* Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Charles III, King Charles III (styled Royal Canadian Mounted Police#Honorary positions and the role of the Royal Family., Commissioner-in-Chief)

Jamaica

* The Jamaica Regiment, Jamaica Regiment –

Malaysia

Malaysian Army

=Combat

= *Royal Malay Regiment – Sultan Sallehuddin of Kedah *Royal Ranger Regiment – Raja Sirajuddin of Perlis *Malaysian Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Armoured Corps – Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu *Special Operations Regiment – Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, the current King of Malaysia

=Combat Support

= *Royal Artillery Regiment and Kor Risik DiRaja, Royal Intelligence Corps – Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan *Royal Regiment of Engineers – Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak *Royal Signals Regiment – Muhriz of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

=Service Support

= *Royal Service Corps – Sultan Sallehuddin of Kedah *Royal Ordnance Corps (Malaysia), Royal Ordnance Corps – Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu *Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (Malaysia), Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps – Muhriz of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

Royal Malaysian Air Force

*Royal Malaysian Air Force – Sultan Abdullah of Pahang

Royal Malaysian Navy

*Royal Malaysian Navy – Sultan Sharafuddin of Selangor (styled Commodore-in-Chief)

New Zealand

* New Zealand Corps of Officer Cadets – ''vacant'' *Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery –

(styled Captain-General) *Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps – ''vacant'' (styled Captain-General) *Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals –

*Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment – ''vacant'' *New Zealand Special Air Service – ''vacant'' *New Zealand Intelligence Corps – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps –

*Royal New Zealand Dental Corps – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Chaplains Department – ''vacant'' *New Zealand Army Legal Service – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Army Educational Corps –

*Corps of Royal New Zealand Military Police – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps – Anne, Princess Royal *New Zealand Army Physical Training Corps – ''vacant''

Norway

*Hans Majestet Kongens Garde, His Majesty The King's Guard – Sir Nils Olav, Nils Olav III

Papua New Guinea

*Royal Pacific Islands Regiment –

References

{{reflist Colonels (military rank), * Military ranks Honorary military appointments