Personal Aide-de-Camp
Encyclopedia
A Personal Aide-de-Camp is a senior officer of the military of any Commonwealth realm
who is appointed to act as the honorary military attendant to the monarch or any of his or her viceroy
s. The sovereign will typically commission another member of the Royal Family to act as his or her personal aide-de-camp
, though, other non-royal officers will be assigned to the role, especially when the monarch is in one of the realms besides the United Kingdom
. A Personal aide-de-camp to the sovereign is entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters
ADC(P), while those designated as aide-de-camp to a governor general, lieutenant governor, or governor use the letters ADC or A de C after their names.
Those in the Royal Family who currently hold the appointment are:
There are other categories of aides-de-camp
to the Queen; most are serving military, naval, and air officers, usually of colonel or brigadier rank or equivalent. There are also specific posts for very senior officers, such as First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp, Flag Aide-de-Camp, Aide-de-Camp General
, and Air Aide-de-Camp
each with its own specific entitlement to post-nominal letters.
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
who is appointed to act as the honorary military attendant to the monarch or any of his or her viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
s. The sovereign will typically commission another member of the Royal Family to act as his or her personal aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, though, other non-royal officers will be assigned to the role, especially when the monarch is in one of the realms besides the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. A Personal aide-de-camp to the sovereign is entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
ADC(P), while those designated as aide-de-camp to a governor general, lieutenant governor, or governor use the letters ADC or A de C after their names.
Those in the Royal Family who currently hold the appointment are:
- Field Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Duke of KentPrince Edward, Duke of KentThe Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...
- Admiral His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
- CaptainCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Mark PhillipsMark Phillips-Ancestry:-Issue:-Sources:...
(Retired) - Rear-AdmiralRear Admiral (Royal Navy)Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... - Second Lieutenant His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Earl of WessexPrince Edward, Earl of WessexPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
- Vice AdmiralVice Admiral (Royal Navy)Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
Sir Timothy LaurenceTimothy LaurenceVice Admiral Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, KCVO, CB, ADC is a senior British naval officer and the second husband of HRH The Princess Royal, the only daughter of HM The Queen...
KCVO, CB
There are other categories of aides-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Queen; most are serving military, naval, and air officers, usually of colonel or brigadier rank or equivalent. There are also specific posts for very senior officers, such as First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp, Flag Aide-de-Camp, Aide-de-Camp General
Aide-de-Camp General
One of the several categories of aides de camp to the Monarch in the United Kingdom is styled Aide de Camp General.These are honorary appointments for senior British Army generals, first made in 1910. There were originally four, but the number was reduced to three in 1988...
, and Air Aide-de-Camp
Air Aide-de-Camp
An air aide-de-camp is a senior honorary aide-de-camp appointment for air officers in the Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Indian Air Force. Normally the recipient is appointed as an air aide-de-camp to the head of state...
each with its own specific entitlement to post-nominal letters.