Commodore-in-chief is an honorary appointment bestowed by the monarch of theCommonwealth realms on various members of the Royal Family. Previously, there have been honoraryair commodores-in-chief in the BritishRoyal Air Force andRoyal Canadian Air Force, but no parallel affiliations with the navies of either country.
Commodore-in-Chief is an appointment rather than a rank. Holding an appointment of commodore-in-chief does not confer upon the holder the rank ofcommodore or indeed any other rank. Members of the Royal Family wear the uniform of their rank and are not issued with a different uniform for the appointment.[dubious –discuss] However,Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, who was appointed the Commodore-in-Chief of theRoyal Fleet Auxiliary in 2006, has since appeared in the uniform of an RFA Commodore[1] followed byThe Prince of Wales in 2023 when he wore the uniform of a RN Commodore.[2]
It was announced on 3 May 2015 thatCharles, Prince of Wales, andAnne, Princess Royal, had been appointed bytheir mother, theQueen of Canada, as commodores-in-chief; Charles is Commodore-in-Chief (Fleet Atlantic) and Anne Commodore-in-Chief (Fleet Pacific). The appointment was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the cessation of theBattle of the Atlantic.[3]
Admiral SirJonathon Band,First Sea Lord, said on news of the appointments: "They firmly underline the strength of the bond between the Royal Family and the Armed Forces, not least the Naval Service in which so many members of the Royal family have served with great distinction over the years."[4]
| Holder | Naval rank (if any) | Appointment[5] | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| The King | Admiral of the Fleet | Commodore-in-Chief,Plymouth Commodore-in-Chief, Aircraft Carriers[6] | 2006 2019 |
| The Queen | - | Commodore-in-Chief, Naval Medical Services Commodore-in-Chief, Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service | 2006 |
| The Prince of Wales | Commander | Commodore-in-Chief,Scotland Commodore-in-Chief,Submarines | 2006 |
| The Princess of Wales | - | Commodore-in-Chief,Fleet Air Arm | 2023 |
| The Duke of Edinburgh | - | Commodore-in-Chief,Royal Fleet Auxiliary | 2006 |
| The Princess Royal | Admiral | Commodore-in-Chief,Portsmouth | 2006 |
| Prince Michael of Kent | Vice-Admiral | Commodore-in-Chief,Maritime Reserves | 2006 |
| Vacant | - | Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving | Since 2021[7] |
Appointees may wear the uniform and insignia of aRoyal Navy Commodore, with insignia of the service (i.e. theSubmarine Warfare Insignia), with many appointment holders opting to wear the naval uniform of their substantive or higher honorary rank.
As a member of the Commonwealth, Malaysia inherited British naval customs and traditions. The origins of theRoyal Malaysian Navy (RMN) can be traced to 1934, when naval formations were first established inBritish Malaya under British administration. There is no surviving record of who held the honorary appointment of Commodore-in-Chief for these pre-independence formations, though it is most likely that theBritish monarch fulfilled the role.[8]
Following independence, the appointment of Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy was reintroduced, withMalay rulers subsequently installed to hold this honorary distinction. The list of holders is as follows:[8][9]
Commodore-in-chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy