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These are the officialRoyal Navy Officer ranks ordered by rank. These ranks are now part of theNATO/United Kingdom ranks, including modern and past.

Royal Navy officer rank insignia[1][2]
Rank group	Officers of flag rank				Senior officers				Junior officers			Officer cadets
NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		N/A
Insignia
Rank	Admiral of the fleet[a]	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet
Abbreviation	AdmF	Adm	VAdm	RAdm	Cdre	Capt	Cdr	Lt Cdr	Lt	Sub Lt / SLt	Mid	OC

Royal Marines officer rank insignia
Rank group	General officers			Field officers				Junior officers			Officer cadets
NATO code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		N/A
Insignia
Rank	General	Lieutenant-general	Major-general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Abbreviation	Gen	Lt Gen	Maj Gen	Brig	Col	Lt Col	Maj	Capt	Lt	2Lt	OCdt

His Majesty's Naval Service of theBritish Armed Forces
Components
Royal Navy Surface Fleet Fleet Air Arm Submarine Service Royal Naval Reserve Royal Navy Medical Service Nursing Service (QARNNS) Chaplaincy Royal Navy Police Royal Marines Royal Marines Reserve Royal Marines Band Service Equipment Uniforms Special Forces Special Boat Service Naval Careers Service
History and future
before 1707 / after 1707 / future History of the Royal Marines Coloured squadrons Customs and traditions Flag officer command flags
Operations
Current deployments Naval parties Shore establishments
Equipment
Current fleet Historic ships Equipment
Personnel
The Admiralty Senior officers Uniforms Officer / ratings rank insignia
Auxiliary services
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Marine Services
v t e

TheRoyal Marines are part of His Majesty's Naval Service but use the same rank structure as theBritish Army, save for the field marshal rank. Officers in the Royal Marines wear the same insignia as their army counterparts but their insignia is5⁄8 inch (16 mm) in size (unlike British Army officers whose insignia is 1 inch (25 mm) in size).^[3] Commissioned officers below the rank of colonel wear the initials 'RM' below their rank insignia.^[3]

The major general rank since 1996 is the highest rank of the officer corps, but in the past, generals and lieutenant generals headed the Corps, and from 1857 to 1957 the Corps also had the unique ranks of colonel second commandant andcolonel commandant. Rank insignia are on brown or dark blue shoulder boards in all dresses save for the combat and barracks duty dress uniforms. From 1911 to 1957 the officer corps even included warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers in the same way as the RN. Although the Royal Marines does not officially use the rank of field marshal, theCaptain General Royal Marines, the ceremonial head of the corps, wears a field marshal's rank insignia.^[4]

Historical ranks initalic:

• Warrant officer
• Commissioned warrant officer
• Probationary second lieutenant
• Probationary lieutenant
• Ensign
• Second lieutenant
• Lieutenant
• Captain lieutenant
• Second captain
• Captain
• Junior major
• Senior major
• Major
• Lieutenant colonel
• Colonel
• Colonel second commandant
• Colonel commandant - replaced by 1957 with brigadier
• Brigadier - acting rank, an appointment for colonels. until 1997
• Brigadier general - temporary appointment rather than substantive rank. used from 1913 to 1921
• Major general
• Lieutenant general
• General

Uniforms for naval officers were not authorised until 1748. At first the cut and style of the uniform differed considerably between ranks, and specific rank insignia were only sporadically used. By the 1790s, the Royal Navy's firstestablished uniform regulations had been published.

Ranks could be indicated by embroidery on the cuffs, by arrangement of buttons or, after 1795, onepaulettes. See the link under title for this section.

Midshipmen received a white patch on the collar in 1758, the oldest badge still in use today.

As the Royal Navy's ships became more and more based on steam power, and the grease and work necessary to maintain those systems, expensive gold bullion epaulets that dirtied easily became more and more impractical for daily duty. The modern system of gold rings on the cuffs originated on 11 April 1856. It had its antecedents in the previous uniforms of the18th and 19th century, esp. those of 1827–1834. For the first time these were applied to all blue uniforms. Also, for the first time, theexecutive curl made its definitive appearance in the regulations.

On 16 April 1861, mates were commissioned as sub-lieutenants and lieutenants were divided into those of over eight years seniority and those under. As a result, on 5 September 1861 the lower ranks' rings were changed:

and on 25 March 1863 to:

On 30 October 1877, a lieutenant of eight years'/ seniority got an additional half-ring of3⁄16in, increased to1⁄4in in 1891, and in 1914 became the new rank of lieutenant commander.

In 1919, the admiral's narrow stripe was reduced to1⁄2in, but asKing George V had not approved the change, the Royal Family continued to wear the wider ring.

In 1931, all the1⁄2in rings were all increased to9⁄16in.

Thecurl was introduced in 1856, but initially only the military (or executive) and navigating (masters) branches wore it.

Other (civil) branches had plain rings, from 1863 with coloured distinction cloth between or below them. Until 1891 officers of the 'civil' branches had single-breasted coats with different arrangements of buttons.

Engineer officers received the curl in 1915 and all other officers in 1918. At the same time they also received other things such as oak leaves on the peaked cap that had formerly been the prerogative of the military branch.

In 1955 it was announced^[5] that the distinction cloth worn between the stripes of officers of the non-executive branches of the Royal Navy was to be abolished, except for those who must be clearly recognisable as non-combatant under theGeneva Convention.

The residual use of distinction cloth for non-combatants is therefore:

• Scarlet – medical
• Orange – dental
• Salmon pink – wardmasters (to 1993)
• Silver grey - civilian officers fromRoyal Corps of Naval Constructors (RCNC)^[6]
• Dark green – civilian officers when required to wear uniform^[7][b]

From 1955 to 1993 there was a rank ofacting sub-lieutenant, with the same rank insignia as a sub-lieutenant.

Naval pilots in theFleet Air Arm (and earlier theRoyal Naval Air Service) have wings above the curl on the left hand sleeve. Other Fleet Air Arm officers had a letter 'A' inside the curl.

Rank group	Flag officers					Senior officers				Junior officers			Trainee
1856–1861
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st class	Commodore 2nd class	Captain	Commander		Lieutenant	Mate	Midshipman	Officer cadet
1861–1863
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st class	Commodore 2nd class	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant, over 8 years	Lieutenant, under 8 years	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet
1863–1877
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st class	Commodore 2nd class	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant, over 8 years	Lieutenant, under 8 years	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet
1877–1891
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st class	Commodore 2nd class	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant, over 8 years	Lieutenant, under 8 years	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet
1891–1914
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st class	Commodore 2nd class	Captain	Commander	Middle stripe increased from 3⁄16in to 1⁄4in Lieutenant, over 8 years	Lieutenant, under 8 years	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet
1914–interwar period
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st class	Commodore 2nd class	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant Commander	Lieutenant (under 8 years)	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet
interwar period/1939–present
	Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral		Commodore	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant Commander	Lieutenant (under 8 years)	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman	Officer cadet

From 1795 rank badges could also be shown onepaulettes. The system changed several times, but after 1864 was as follows:

Rank group	Flag officers					Senior officers				Junior officers			Trainee
1864–1891 epaulettes reserved fordress uniforms after 1939 only in royal attendance by admirals													None
		Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore	Captain (over 3 yrs seniority)	Captain (under 3 yrs seniority)	Commander	Lieutenant (over 8 yrs seniority)	Lieutenant (less than 8 yrs seniority)	Sub-lieutenant (wasMate)	Midshipman
1891–1926 Shoulder Boards													Mate/Midshipman
		Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore 1st Class	Commodore (2nd Class)	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant (over 8 yrs seniority) in 1914 becameLt. commander	Lieutenant (less than 8 yrs seniority)	Sub-lieutenant	Midshipman

• Sub-lieutenants and commissioned warrant officers wore scales (epaulettes without fringes, officially termed "shoulder straps") and the same device as a lieutenant.
• Epaulettes of the military branch were gold throughout with silver devices, while those of the civil branches had a silver edging and gold devices. Instead of the baton and sword or foul anchor, civil branch epaulettes substituted a star. Navigating branch epaulettes were the same as the military branch, but with crossed plain anchors in place of the foul anchor. The epaulette stars had eight points, quite unlike theOrder of the Bath stars worn by army officers.^[c]
• In 1891 the admiral of the fleet changed to a crown above two crossed batons within a wreath, similar to the badge of a field marshal.
• Also in 1891 shoulder-straps were introduced for use on white uniforms and on the greatcoat, and more recently in "shirt sleeve order". For these commodores first class and above used the same badge as on their epaulettes, and commodores second class and below used their rank rings.
• From 1926 only commodores had two stars, other captains one.
• Epaulettes were not worn after 1939 except by the royal family and in attendance on the royal family on ceremonial occasions by admirals.

In 2001,^[d] the shoulder boards on dress uniforms were changed to match the NATO system of stars for Flag Officers and are currently:

Warrant officers first received their uniforms in 1787. The navigators, surgeons and pursers were commissioned in 1843 and their insignia are described above.

In 1865 chief (later commissioned) gunners,boatswains, and carpenters were given a single1⁄2in ring, with the curl, though the carpenters lost the curl in 1879.

In 1891 ordinary warrant officers of 10 years' standing were given a half-ring of1⁄4in, with or without curl as above.

In 1918 this ring, with the curl, was extended to all non-commissioned warrant officers.

In 1949 WOs and CWOs became "commissioned branch officers" and "senior commissioned branch officers" and were admitted to the wardroom, but their insignia remained the same.

In 1956 they were integrated into the line officers as sub-lieutenants and lieutenants, and class distinctions finally disappeared from the uniform.

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From 1863 officers were commissioned in theRoyal Naval Reserve this was for serving merchant navy officers only. They had rings each formed from two1⁄4 inch wavy lines intersecting each other. The curl was formed into a six-pointed star. The lieutenant commander's half-ring was straight, but only1⁄8 inch wide. The commodore had a broad straight ring, but the same star for a curl. Midshipmen had a blue collar patch.

Officers of theRoyal Naval Volunteer Reserve (formed 1903) for civilians, had single wavy rings1⁄4 inch wide, with the curl a squarish shape. The lieutenant commander's narrow ring was originally straight, but after 1942 was waved also. This system of rank insignia is still worn today by officers in theVolunteer Cadet Corps andSea Cadets. Midshipmen in the RNVR had a maroon collar patch.

In 1951 both reserves lost their distinctive insignia and got normal straight stripes like the regulars, but with a letter 'R' inside the curl. The two organisations were merged in 1958. In 2007 officers of the Royal Naval Reserve had the 'R' distinction from badges of rank removed. Honorary officers in the RNR however continue to wear the 'R' inside the curl.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Royal Naval Reserve (1916–1951) v t e
									Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Sub lieutenant			Midshipman			Naval Cadet
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (1916–1941) v t e
									Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Sub lieutenant			Midshipman			Naval Cadet
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (1942–1951) v t e
									Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Sub lieutenant			Midshipman			Naval Cadet
Royal Naval Reserve (1952–2006) v t e
									Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Sub lieutenant			Midshipman			Naval Cadet
NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1

Officers in theWomen's Royal Naval Service had straight rings in light blue, with a diamond shape instead of the curl. The Women's Royal Naval Service was abolished in 1994 and female officers now have the same gold rings as male officers.

• British Army officer rank insignia
• RAF officer ranks
• Ranks of the cadet forces of the United Kingdom
• Royal Marines Band Service
• Royal Navy other rank insignia

• Archived 2008 Royal Navy official webpage on Uniforms and Badges of Rank
• Illustrations of Naval epaulettes at the National Maritime Museum
• Royal Navy ranks, professions, trades and badges of rank in World War II

• British military insignia
• Military ranks of the Royal Navy

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles needing additional references from March 2023
• All articles needing additional references
• Use dmy dates from April 2022
• Articles needing additional references from October 2022