Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in an army

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

. It is in common use in several

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

armies, where it is held by the regiment's

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

, usually a member of the royal family. Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to the position, appointing animals or characters as colonel-in-chief. The

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

, for example, appointed a

king penguin The king penguin (''Aptenodytes patagonicus'') is the second largest species of penguin, smaller than but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin. King penguins mainly eat lanternfish, squid, and krill. On foraging trips, king pen ...

named Sir Nils Olav as a colonel-in-chief.Norwegian Consulate in Edinburgh.

History

Historically a ''colonel-in-chief'' was the ceremonial head of a

, usually a member of a European country's royal family. The practice extends at least back to 1740 in

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

when Frederick II held that position () in the newly created Garde du Corps, an elite heavy cavalry regiment. By the late 19th century the designation could be given to the children of royalty; there are pictures of the daughters of Russian Czar Nicholas II in the uniforms of their regiments. The German Kaiser

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

carried the title to an extreme, holding it in dozens of German and (by diplomatic courtesy) Austro-Hungarian (called '' Inhaber''), British, Russian, and Portuguese regiments. His mother, wife, son, and daughters were also full or deputy colonels-in-chief of various units.

Role

In modern usage, the colonel-in-chief of a

is its (usually royal)

, who has a ceremonial role in the life of the regiment. They do not have any operational role, or the right to issue orders, but are kept informed of all important activities of the regiment and pay occasional visits to its units. The chief purpose of the colonel-in-chief is to maintain a direct link between the regiment and the royal family. Some

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

regiments have a captain-general instead of a colonel-in-chief, but the posts are essentially the same. The position of colonel-in-chief is distinct from the other ceremonial regimental posts of colonel of the regiment and honorary colonel, which are usually retired military officers or public figures with ties to the regiment. Colonels-in-chief are appointed at the invitation of the regiment. While it is traditional for a royal personage to hold the position, it is at the discretion of each regiment whom they invite. , most colonels-in-chief in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

are members of the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

. However, one foreign monarch holds the position: *

Abdullah II of Jordan Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...

–

The Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northe ...

In the past non-royal persons have held, or been invited to hold, the post of colonel-in-chief. The Duke of Wellington was colonel-in-chief of the regiment that bore his name. The

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

Adrienne Clarkson was invited to be colonel-in-chief of

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

, while the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps decided to ask the Governor-General of Australia to serve as its colonel-in-chief. The role has spread to other armies in the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

, at least in countries which have royal families.

List of colonels-in-chief

United Kingdom

Royal Navy (styled Commodore-in-Chief)

* Plymouth, Royal Naval Command –

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

* Aircraft Carriers – King Charles III * Royal Navy Medical Service –

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

* Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service – Queen Camilla *

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

–

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his pat ...

Submarines A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or info ...

– William, Prince of Wales *

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

–

Catherine, Princess of Wales Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Catherine grew ...

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...

–

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of King ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

–

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...

* Maritime Reserves –

Prince Michael of Kent Prince Michael of Kent (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British royal family who is 53rd in line to the British throne as of 2025. The younger son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Gr ...

* Small Ships and Diving – ''vacant'' *

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

– King Charles III (styled

Captain General Royal Marines Captain General Royal Marines is the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines. The current Captain General is King Charles III. The uniform and insignia currently worn by the Captain General are those of a Field Marshal. This position is distinct ...

) * Women in the Royal Navy – Anne, Princess Royal (styled Chief Commandant)

British Army

=Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps

Household Cavalry

* The Life Guards – King Charles III ** Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne (Colonel of the Regiment) * The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) – King Charles III **Anne, Princess Royal (Colonel of the Regiment)

Line Cavalry

* 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards – Catherine, Princess of Wales * The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) – King Charles III **

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George ...

(Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) * The Royal Dragoon Guards – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh ** Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) * The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh * The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) – Queen Camilla * The King's Royal Hussars – Anne, Princess Royal *

– King Abdullah II of Jordan

Royal Tank Regiment

* The Royal Tank Regiment – King Charles III

Yeomanry

* The Royal Yeomanry – ''vacant'' ** Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Royal Honorary Colonel) * The Royal Wessex Yeomanry – ''vacant'' **Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Royal Honorary Colonel) * The Queen's Own Yeomanry – ''vacant'' **Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (Royal Honorary Colonel) * The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry – ''vacant''

=Infantry

Foot Guards

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

– King Charles III **Queen Camilla (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

– King Charles III ** Sir James Bucknall (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Ki ...

– King Charles III **Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel of the Regiment) *

Irish Guards The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...

– King Charles III **Catherine, Princess of Wales (Colonel of the Regiment) * Welsh Guards – King Charles III **William, Prince of Wales (Colonel of the Regiment) * London Guards – ''vacant'' **Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel of the Regiment)

Line Infantry and Rifles

* The Royal Regiment of Scotland – King Charles III **Anne, Princess Royal (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) **Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland – King Charles III **52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland – Anne, Princess Royal **51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland – King Charles III * The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) – ''vacant'' * The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) – King Charles III * The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent * The Royal Anglian Regiment –

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the youngest ...

* The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) – ''vacant'' * The Royal Welsh – King Charles III * The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) – William, Prince of Wales * Royal Irish Regiment – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh * The Royal Gurkha Rifles – King Charles III *

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions. Each Regular battalion was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the ...

– Queen Camilla **1st Battalion – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Royal Colonel) **2nd Battalion – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Royal Colonel) **3rd Battalion – Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Royal Colonel) **5th Battalion – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (Royal Colonel) **6th Battalion – Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Royal Colonel) **7th Battalion – Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester (Royal Colonel)

Airborne Infantry

* The Parachute Regiment – King Charles III

Special Operations

* Ranger Regiment – ''vacant'' **1st Battalion – Anne, Princess Royal **4th Battalion – Queen Camilla

= Special Forces

= *

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...

– ''vacant'' * Special Reconnaissance Regiment – Queen Camilla

=Combat Support and Army Air Corps

= * Army Air Corps – William, Prince of Wales *

Royal Regiment of Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

– King Charles III (styled Captain-General) * Corps of Royal Engineers – King Charles III *

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

– Anne, Princess Royal ** Queen's Gurkha Signals – Anne, Princess Royal * Intelligence Corps – Anne, Princess Royal *

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

– King Charles III (styled Captain-General) **Prince Michael of Kent (Royal Honorary Colonel) * Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) – ''vacant'' **Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Royal Honorary Colonel)

=Combat Service Support

= *

Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. History The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: * Royal Engine ...

– Anne, Princess Royal **Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) **Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) ** 10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment – Anne, Princess Royal * Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh *

Adjutant General's Corps The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services, named for the Adjutant-General to the Forces (now the Commander Home Command). As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 peop ...

–

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester (born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen; 20 June 1946) is a Danish-born member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a grandson of George V, King George V. Early life ...

**Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Deputy Colonel-in-Chief) **Staff and Personnel Support – ''vacant'' ** Educational and Training Services – ''vacant'' ** Army Legal Services – ''vacant'' **Provost Branch – ''vacant'' *** Royal Military Police – King Charles III *** Military Provost Staff – ''vacant'' *** Military Provost Guard Service – ''vacant'' * Royal Corps of Army Music – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh *

Royal Army Chaplains' Department The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD) is an all-officer department that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army. History The Army Chaplains' Department (AChD) was formed by Royal Warrant of 23 September 1796; until the ...

''vacant'' * Small Arms School Corps – ''vacant'' * Royal Army Physical Training Corps – ''vacant'' * General Service Corps – ''vacant''

Army Medical Services

Royal Army Medical Service The Royal Army Medical Service (RAMS) is a specialist corps in the British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigad ...

– Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester * Royal Army Veterinary Corps – Anne, Princess Royal

= Overseas Regiments

= * The Royal Gibraltar Regiment – Governor of Gibraltar (''ex officio'') * The Royal Bermuda Regiment – Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester *

Royal Montserrat Defence Force The Royal Montserrat Defence Force is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. The force has an authorized strength level objective of 50 reserve personnel as of 2021-22, akin in size ...

– ''vacant'' * Cayman Islands Regiment – ''vacant'' * Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment – ''vacant'' * Falkland Islands Defence Force – ''vacant''

Royal Air Force (styled Honorary Air Commodore)

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

– King Charles III (styled Air Commodore-in-Chief) * RAF Regiment – King Charles III (styled Air Commodore-in-Chief) * RAF Regiment – Sir Stephen Dalton * Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (styled Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief) * Royal Air Force Air Cadets – Catherine, Princess of Wales (styled Honorary Air Commandant) * Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service – Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (styled Air Chief Commandant) * RAF Ascension Island – ''vacant'' * RAF Akrotiri – ''vacant'' * RAF Benson – Prince Michael of Kent (styled Honorary Air Marshal) * RAF Boulmer – ''vacant'' *

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...

– Anne, Princess Royal *

RAF Coningsby Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and h ...

– Catherine, Princess of Wales (styled Royal Honorary Air Commodore) * RAF Cosford – ''vacant'' *

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the RAF Colleg ...

– ''vacant'' * RAF Digby – ''vacant'' *

RAF Gibraltar Royal Air Force Gibraltar or more simply RAF Gibraltar (also formerly known as North Front) is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station on Gibraltar. No military aircraft are currently stationed there, but RAF and aircraft o ...

– ''vacant'' * RAF Halton – Queen Camilla * RAF Henlow – ''vacant'' * RAF High Wycombe – ''vacant'' * RAF Honington – ''vacant'' * RAF Leeming – Queen Camilla * RAF Lossiemouth – ''vacant'' * RAF Marham – King Charles III *

RAF Northolt Royal Air Force Northolt or more simply RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of ...

– ''vacant'' *

RAF Odiham Royal Air Force Odiham or more simply RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift he ...

– Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester * RAF Shawbury – ''vacant'' * RAF Spadeadam – ''vacant'' * RAF St Mawgan – ''vacant'' * RAF Syerston – ''vacant'' * RAF Valley – William, Prince of Wales (styled Royal Honorary Air Commodore) * RAF Waddington – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh * RAF Wittering – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh * RAF Woodvale – ''vacant'' *

RAF Wyton Royal Air Force Wyton or more simply RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is decommissioned and the station is now under the comm ...

– ''vacant'' * University of London Air Squadron – Anne, Princess Royal * 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester * 600 (City of London) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Hugh Trenchard, 3rd Viscount Trenchard * 612 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Simon Arthur, 4th Baron Glenarthur * 4626 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Maxwell Aitken, 3rd Baron Beaverbrook * 7006 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Christopher Andrew * 7630 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force – David Cousins

Antigua and Barbuda

* Antigua and Barbuda Regiment –

Australia

* Royal Australian Armoured Corps –

Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's f ...

– King Charles III (styled Captain General) * Corps of Royal Australian Engineers – ''vacant'' *

Royal Australian Corps of Signals The Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RASigs) is one of the 'arms' (combat support corps) of the Australian Army. It is responsible for installing, maintaining, and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. The ...

–

* Royal Australian Infantry Corps – ''vacant'' *

Royal Australian Corps of Transport The Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) is an administrative corps within the Australian Army. The RACT is ranked tenth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, and is the most senior logistics corps. It was formed on 1 June 1 ...

– Anne, Princess Royal * Royal Australian Army Medical Corps – Governor-General of Australia (''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...

'') * Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps – ''vacant'' * Corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – ''vacant'' * Royal Australian Army Educational Corps –

* Royal Australian Corps of Military Police –

* Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps – ''vacant''

Brunei Darussalam

* Royal Brunei Armed Forces – Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (styled Supreme Commander)

Canada

Canadian Army

= Royal Canadian Armoured Corps

= * Royal Canadian Dragoons –

* Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) – King Charles III * 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) –

* Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) –

South Alberta Light Horse The South Alberta Light Horse (SALH) is a Canadian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Army Reserve. It traces its complicated lineage to the Rocky Mountain Rangers, and claims its direct ancestry to the 15th Light Horse, along ...

– Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh * Saskatchewan Dragoons – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh

= Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

= *

The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canad ...

– ''vacant'' *

– Adrienne Clarkson * Royal 22nd Regiment – ''vacant'' * Queen's Own Rifles of Canada –

* Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada – King Charles III * Royal Regiment of Canada – King Charles III * Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment – Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh * Lincoln and Welland Regiment – Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh * Grey and Simcoe Foresters – Anne, Princess Royal * Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) –

* Royal Winnipeg Rifles – King Charles III * Essex and Kent Scottish –

* Royal Regina Rifles – Anne, Princess Royal * Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) – Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy * Irish Regiment of Canada – King Charles III * Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) – King Charles III * Royal Newfoundland Regiment – Anne, Princess Royal

= Royal Canadian Engineers

= * 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgin's) –

Earl of Elgin Earl of Elgin ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1633 for Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, Thomas Bruce, 3rd Lord Kinloss. He was later created Baron Bruce, of Whorlton in the County of York, in the Peerage of England on 30 Ju ...

(''ex officio'')

= Personnel branches

= * Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery –

(styled Captain General) *

Communications and Electronics Branch The Communications and Electronics Branch () is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The army component of the branch is designated the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (). History Major Wallace Bruce Matthews Carruthers (13 Feb ...

– Anne, Princess Royal * Royal Canadian Medical Service – Anne, Princess Royal *

Royal Canadian Dental Corps The Royal Canadian Dental Corps (RCDC, ) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Most members of RCDC, along with the members of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, are employed in the Canadian Forces Health Services Group (CF ...

–

Other organisations

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

–

(styled Commissioner-in-Chief)

Jamaica

* Jamaica Regiment –

Malaysia

Malaysian Army

=Combat

= * Royal Malay Regiment – Sultan

Sallehuddin of Kedah Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ; born 30 April 1942) is the 29th Sultan of Kedah since ascending to the throne in September 2017 upon the death of his elder half-brother Abdul Halim of ...

* Royal Ranger Regiment – Raja Sirajuddin of Perlis *

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Ar ...

– Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu * Special Operations Regiment – Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, the current

King of Malaysia The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...

=Combat Support

= * Royal Artillery Regiment and Royal Intelligence Corps – Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan * Royal Regiment of Engineers – Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak * Royal Signals Regiment – Tuanku Muhriz, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

=Service Support

= *Royal Service Corps – Sultan

* Royal Ordnance Corps – Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu * Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps – Tuanku Muhriz, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

Royal Malaysian Air Force

* Royal Malaysian Air Force – Sultan

Abdullah of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (; ; born 30 July 1959) is the sixth modern Sultan of Pahang. Abdullah was born during the reign of his grandfather, Abu Bakar of Pahang, Sultan ...

Royal Malaysian Navy

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defence operations. RMN's area of operation consists of 603,2 ...

– Sultan

Sharafuddin of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ; born 24 December 1945) has been the Sultan of Selangor since ascending to the throne in November 2001. Early life and education S ...

(styled Commodore-in-Chief)

New Zealand

* New Zealand Corps of Officer Cadets – ''vacant'' *

Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery The Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery is the artillery regiment of the New Zealand Army. It is effectively a military administrative corps, and can comprise multiple component regiments. This nomenclature stems from its heritage as an of ...

–

(styled Captain-General) * Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps – ''vacant'' (styled Captain-General) *

Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers is the administrative corps of the New Zealand Army responsible for military engineering. The role of the Engineers is to assist in maintaining friendly forces' mobility, deny freedom of movement to the ...

– ''vacant'' *

Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals The Royal New Zealand Signals Corps (RNZSigs) provides, co-ordinates and operates the communications networks of the New Zealand Army. The role of RNZSigs is to support other Arms by providing Communication Information System required for Comma ...

–

Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the parent administrative regiment and corps of regular and reserve infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1947 with a singular Regular regiment and multiple reserve ...

– ''vacant'' * New Zealand Special Air Service – ''vacant'' * New Zealand Intelligence Corps – ''vacant'' * Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment – ''vacant'' * Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps –

* Royal New Zealand Dental Corps – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Chaplains Department – ''vacant'' *New Zealand Army Legal Service – ''vacant'' *Royal New Zealand Army Educational Corps –

* Corps of Royal New Zealand Military Police – ''vacant'' * Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps – Anne, Princess Royal *New Zealand Army Physical Training Corps – ''vacant''

Norway

* His Majesty The King's Guard – Sir

Nils Olav III Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Island, Bouvet Islands () is a king penguin who resides in Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. He is the military mascot, mascot and colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian Hans Majestet Kongens Garde, King's ...

Papua New Guinea

* Royal Pacific Islands Regiment –

References

{{reflist * Military ranks Honorary military appointments