The ''King's Regulations'' (first published in 1731 and known as the ''Queen's Regulations'' when the
monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
is female) is a collection of orders and regulations in force in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
,
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
,
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
, and
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...
Forces (where the same person as on the British throne is also their separate
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
), forming guidance for officers of these armed services in all matters of discipline and personal conduct. Originally, a single set of regulations were published in one volume. By the mid 19th century, there were separate editions of the ''Queen's Regulations'' for the Navy and the Army, and there is now one for each of the United Kingdom's armed forces.
History
The first issue of what became the ''Queen's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions'' was issued in 1731 as the ''Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea''. Numerous further editions have appeared since then, and from the 19th century the title was altered to the ''Queen's
r King's
R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars'', or in Irelan ...
Regulations and Admiralty Instructions''. Naval editions with this title were published by
H.M. Stationery Office as recently as 1959 and 1964.
In 1868, ''
Chambers's Encyclopaedia'' noted that the Queen's Regulations for the Navy "in a great degree regulate matters of finance; whereas, in the army, financial matters are left to the War Office regulations".
The historian of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
,
Edward Jenks wrote in 1918 that:
In a legal work of 1907,
Sir Frederick Pollock defined the "King's Regulations and Orders for the Army and Navy" thus:
Under "King's Regulations and Orders for the Army", Herbert Mason states
Prohibition of political discussions
It has been a matter of discipline since at least the 1844 edition of
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...
that,
Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Soldiers are forbidden to institute, countenance, or attend Orange-Lodges, or any other Meetings whatever, for Party or Political Purposes, in Barracks, Quarters, Camp, or wheresoever held.
In 1889,
Sir Garnet Wolseley
Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, (4 June 183325 March 1913), was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a s ...
amended the prohibition to read,
Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and private soldiers are forbidden to institute, or take part in any meetings, demonstrations, or processions for party or political purposes, in barracks, quarters or camps, or their vicinity; and under no circumstances whatever will they do so in uniform.
Current editions
*''The Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy'' (1997)
*''The Queen's Regulations for the Army'' (1975)
*''The Queen's Regulations for the Royal Air Force'' (1999)
Frequent updates are issued.
Selected past editions
;Army
*
General Orders and Regulations' (
Calvert ed. - Temple Bar, London: C. Roworth, 1804)
*
The Queen's regulations and orders for the Army' (Wellington ed. - London: Parker, Furnivall, and Parker, 3rd ed., 1844)
*
The Queen's regulations and orders for the Army - Part I' (Wolseley ed. - War Office, London: HMSO 1889)
*''The King's Regulations and Orders for the Army'' (London: HM Stationery Office, 1901)
*
The King's Regulations and Orders for the Army' (London: HM Stationery Office, 1908)
*
The King's Regulations and Orders for the Army' (London: HM Stationery Office, 1912)
;Navy
*
Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea'. (London, 1731; 1st ed)
*
Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea'. (London, 1734; 2nd ed)
*
Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea'. (London, 1757; 9th ed)
*
Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea'. (London, 1790; 13th ed)
*
Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea'. (London, 1806)
*
The Queen's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of Her Majesty's Naval Service' (London: HMSO, 1862)
*''The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service'', 2 volumes (London: HM Stationery Office, 1906)
Vol I*''The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service'', 2 volumes (London: HM Stationery Office, 1913)
Vol I*''The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service'', 2 volumes (London: HM Stationery Office, 1914)
*''The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service'', 2 volumes (London: HM Stationery Office, 1939)
;RAF
*
The King's regulations and orders for the Royal Air Force'. (London: HM Stationery Office, 1918)
See also
*
Queen's Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces
References
{{reflist
United Kingdom military law
Government documents of the United Kingdom
Royal Navy
British Army
Royal Air Force
Adjutant General's Corps
1731 in military history
1731 in Great Britain