List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp

Below is a list of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp, an office established by William IV of the United Kingdom in 1830.

History of the office

In 1827 King George IV had appointed Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Taylor (a senior Army officer and courtier) to be his First and Principal Aide-de-Camp^[1] ('an office which it is said was established expressly for the purpose of retaining the valuable services of Sir Herbert, who at that period was contemplating a continental journey').^[2] Three years later King William IV appointed a number of Naval Aides-de-Camp to the King, and at the same time appointed Admiral the Rt Hon. Lord Amelius Beauclerk, K.C.B., to be his First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp.^[3] Meanwhile Sir Herbert Taylor continued to hold the distinct office of First and Principal ADC, under both King William IV^[4] and Queen Victoria, until his death in 1839.^[5] He was not directly replaced; however, Beauclerk, following his death in December 1846, was promptly replaced in the office of First and Principal Naval ADC by Vice Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B..^[6]

First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp

1830–1846: Lord Amelius Beauclerk^[7]
1846–1866: Sir William Parker, Bt.^[8]
1866–1873: The Earl of Lauderdale^[9]
1873–1878: Sir James Hope^[10]
1878–1879: The Hon. Sir Henry Keppel
1879–1886: Sir Astley Key
1886–1895: Sir Geoffrey Hornby
1895–1897: Sir Algernon Lyons
1897–1899: Sir Nowell Salmon
1899–1901: Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bt.^[11]
1901–1902: Sir James Erskine^[12]
1902–1903: Sir Edward Seymour^[13]
1903–1904: Sir Henry Stephenson
1904–1911: Sir John Fisher
1911–1913: Sir Lewis Beaumont
1913–1914: Sir Edmund Poë
1914–1917: Sir George Callaghan
1917–1919: Sir Henry Jackson
1919–1922: Sir Stanley Colville
1922–1924: Sir Charles Madden, Bt.
1924–1925: Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe
1925–1926: Sir Montague Browning
1926–1928: Sir Arthur Leveson^[14]
1928–1929: Sir Richard Phillimore
1929–1930: Sir William Goodenough

1930: Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair
1930–1931: Sir Walter Cowan, Bt.
1931–1932: Sir Hubert Brand
1932–1934: Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, Bt.
1934–1936: Sir John Kelly
1936–1938: The Earl of Cork and Orrery
1938–1939: Sir Roger Backhouse
1939–1941: The Hon. Sir Reginald Drax
1941–1943: Sir Dudley Pound
1943–1945: Sir Percy Noble
1945–1946: The Lord Tovey
1946–1948: The Lord Fraser of North Cape
1948–1949: Sir Henry Moore
1949–1952: Sir Arthur Power
1952–1953: Sir Rhoderick McGrigor
1953–1954: Sir John Edelsten
1954–1958: The Hon. Sir Guy Russell
1958–1959: Sir Guy Grantham
1959–1960: Sir William Davis
1960–1962: Sir Caspar John
1962–1965: Sir Wilfrid Woods
1965–1968: Sir Desmond Dreyer
1968–1970: Sir John Frewen
1970–1972: Sir Horace Law
1972–1974: Sir Michael Pollock

Sir George Zambellas was appointed First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp at the same time as his appointment as First Sea Lord. Aiguillettes on the right shoulder are the insignia of an Aide-de-Camp.

Since 1972, the office has been united with that of First Sea Lord.^[15]

Flag Aide-de-Camp

Flag Aide-de-Camp was, for a time, the designation given to the next most senior naval aide-de-camp after the First and Principal Naval ADC (namely between 1972 and 2012). The Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command invariably held this appointment;^[16] in October 2012 the post of Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command was abolished, since when the appointment of Flag Aide-de-Camp appears to be in abeyance.^[17]

References

^ The London Gazette, Issue 18359, Page 1010, 8 May 1827
^ O'Byrne, Robert H. (1848). "Taylor, Sir Herbert, Knt.". The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (Part I - Bedfordshire). London: John Ollivier. p. 209.
^ The London Gazette, Issue 18715, Page 1689, 6 August 1830
^ A List of the Officers of the Army and Royal Marines. London: War Office. 1833. p. 61.
^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). Dictionary of National Biography (Vol. LV - Stow to Taylor). New York: The Macmillan Company. p. 414.
^ The London Gazette, Issue 20685, Page 5926, 22 December 1846
^ The Edinburgh Gazette Issue 3883, Page 229, 10 August 1830
^ The London Gazette, Issue 20685, Page 5926, 22 December 1846
^ The London Gazette, Issue 23191, Page 6471, 27 November 1866
^ The London Gazette, Issue 23952, Page 783, 25 February 1873
^ "No. 27289". The London Gazette. 26 February 1901. p. 1417.
^ "No. 27307". The London Gazette. 23 April 1901. p. 2777.
^ "No. 27483". The London Gazette. 17 October 1902. p. 6569.
^ "No. 33209". The London Gazette. 8 October 1926. p. 6440.
^ London Gazette, various editions
^ London Gazette, various editions
^ The 2019 Navy Directory, for example, does not list any such person among the aides-de-camp: Navy List 2019.

[1] The London Gazette, Issue 18359, Page 1010, 8 May 1827

[2] O'Byrne, Robert H. (1848). "Taylor, Sir Herbert, Knt.". The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (Part I - Bedfordshire). London: John Ollivier. p. 209.

[3] The London Gazette, Issue 18715, Page 1689, 6 August 1830

[4] A List of the Officers of the Army and Royal Marines. London: War Office. 1833. p. 61.

[5] Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). Dictionary of National Biography (Vol. LV - Stow to Taylor). New York: The Macmillan Company. p. 414.

[6] The London Gazette, Issue 20685, Page 5926, 22 December 1846

[7] The Edinburgh Gazette Issue 3883, Page 229, 10 August 1830

[8] The London Gazette, Issue 20685, Page 5926, 22 December 1846

[9] The London Gazette, Issue 23191, Page 6471, 27 November 1866

[10] The London Gazette, Issue 23952, Page 783, 25 February 1873

[11] "No. 27289". The London Gazette. 26 February 1901. p. 1417.

[12] "No. 27307". The London Gazette. 23 April 1901. p. 2777.

[13] "No. 27483". The London Gazette. 17 October 1902. p. 6569.

[14] "No. 33209". The London Gazette. 8 October 1926. p. 6440.

[15] London Gazette, various editions

[16] London Gazette, various editions

[17] The 2019 Navy Directory, for example, does not list any such person among the aides-de-camp: Navy List 2019.

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