The Monarchy Today > Queen and State > Queen and Armed Forces

The Queen visits HMS Ocean
© Press Association

This reaffirmation of loyalty to the Sovereign, as Head of State, also ensures that the loyalty of servicemen and women as serving members of the Armed Services, regardless of their personal political beliefs, is not given to any one political party, but to the country in the form of the Head of State.

The Queen takes a keen interest in all the Armed Services both in the United Kingdom and in the Commonwealth.

She keeps in touch with the work and interests of the Services through the Chiefs of Staff and her Defence Services Secretary, a serving officer who is also a member of the Royal Household, who acts as the official link between The Queen, through her Private Secretary, and the Secretary of State for Defence. The Queen is regularly briefed by her Ministers.

The Queen and various other members of the Royal Family hold various appointments and honorary ranks in the Armed Services, both in the United Kingdom and in some realms.

Such appointments include ‘special relationships’ with certain ships, honorary colonelcies (known as Royal colonels) in Army regiments and corps, and honorary ranks connected with Royal Air Force stations.

These links are maintained by regular visits by members of the Royal Family to Service establishments and to ships, to meet servicemen and women of all ranks and their families, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Members of the Royal Family have personal experience of life in the Armed Services.

As Princess Elizabeth, The Queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to be a full-time active member of the Armed Services.

The Queen meets personnel at RAF Marham in Norfolk
© Press Association

Many Royal Princes have also received training in the Services.

The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have served in the Royal Navy. The Prince of Wales also trained in the Royal Air Force as a pilot. Prince William and Prince Harry have both undergone Army officer training at Sandhurst.

The Duke of York served for over 20 years as an officer in the Royal Navy before leaving the Service in 2001, and is the most recent member of the Royal Family to see active service.

He flew as a second pilot in Sea King helicopters on anti-submarine and transport duties during the Falklands campaign in 1982.

The last king to lead his troops into battle was George II in 1743. Aged 60, he took the field for the last time, defeating the French at the Battle of Dettingen in Germany.

The last British Sovereign to have seen action in battle was The Queen’s father, George VI.

As a 20-year-old Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, he fought in the battle of Jutland in May 1916.


	The Queen presents Iraq campaign medals during a visit to The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in November 2004 © Press Association The Queen is Head of the Armed Forces and takes a keen interest in all the Armed Services, both in the United Kingdom and in the Commonwealth. The Sovereign is Head of the Armed Forces and only he or she can declare war and peace. This dates from the times when the monarch was responsible for raising, maintaining and equipping the Army and Navy, and often leading them into battle. But nowadays these powers cannot be exercised on the monarch’s own initiative, but only on the advice of responsible Ministers. The Bill of Rights (1689) declared that “the raising or keeping of a standing army within the Kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with the consent of Parliament, is against the law”. The existences of the Army (raised as a series of different regiments by colonels) and the Royal Air Force are legally based on the Army and Air Force Acts of 1955 and previous Parliamentary Acts. Their continued existence depends on annual Continuation Orders passed by Parliament. On enlistment, the Acts require members of the Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines (who operate ashore under the Army Act) to take an oath of allegiance to the monarch as Head of the Armed Forces. Those for whom it is against their religion to take oaths, and those who are of no religion, affirm instead of swearing an oath. The Royal Navy was formed hundreds of years ago, and its existence stems from the Sovereign’s prerogative. Members of the Navy have never therefore been required to take the oath. The oath of allegiance is sworn to the monarch, rather than to Parliament, which might be confused with the political party in power at the time.
	The Queen visits HMS Ocean © Press Association This reaffirmation of loyalty to the Sovereign, as Head of State, also ensures that the loyalty of servicemen and women as serving members of the Armed Services, regardless of their personal political beliefs, is not given to any one political party, but to the country in the form of the Head of State. The Queen takes a keen interest in all the Armed Services both in the United Kingdom and in the Commonwealth. She keeps in touch with the work and interests of the Services through the Chiefs of Staff and her Defence Services Secretary, a serving officer who is also a member of the Royal Household, who acts as the official link between The Queen, through her Private Secretary, and the Secretary of State for Defence. The Queen is regularly briefed by her Ministers. The Queen and various other members of the Royal Family hold various appointments and honorary ranks in the Armed Services, both in the United Kingdom and in some realms. Such appointments include ‘special relationships’ with certain ships, honorary colonelcies (known as Royal colonels) in Army regiments and corps, and honorary ranks connected with Royal Air Force stations. These links are maintained by regular visits by members of the Royal Family to Service establishments and to ships, to meet servicemen and women of all ranks and their families, both in the United Kingdom and overseas. Members of the Royal Family have personal experience of life in the Armed Services. As Princess Elizabeth, The Queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to be a full-time active member of the Armed Services. The Queen meets personnel at RAF Marham in Norfolk © Press Association Many Royal Princes have also received training in the Services. The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have served in the Royal Navy. The Prince of Wales also trained in the Royal Air Force as a pilot. Prince William and Prince Harry have both undergone Army officer training at Sandhurst. The Duke of York served for over 20 years as an officer in the Royal Navy before leaving the Service in 2001, and is the most recent member of the Royal Family to see active service. He flew as a second pilot in Sea King helicopters on anti-submarine and transport duties during the Falklands campaign in 1982. The last king to lead his troops into battle was George II in 1743. Aged 60, he took the field for the last time, defeating the French at the Battle of Dettingen in Germany. The last British Sovereign to have seen action in battle was The Queen’s father, George VI. As a 20-year-old Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, he fought in the battle of Jutland in May 1916. The Queen A biography of the Head of State SUGGESTED LINKS The Royal Navy The British Army The Royal Air Force