The Naval Intelligence Department ( NID ) was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty from 1887 until 1912 when most of its subsidiary divisions were absorbed during the creation of the Admiralty War Staff department that included a new Naval Intelligence Division that concentrated in that sphere solely. It dealt with intelligence matters concerning British naval plans, and with the collection of naval intelligence in regard to coastal defences, foreign powers, mobilisation, trade and war.
25-536: The Foreign Intelligence Committee was established in 1882 and it evolved into the Naval Intelligence Department in 1887. The NID staff were originally responsible for fleet mobilisation and war plans as well as foreign intelligence collection; thus in the beginning there were originally two divisions: (1) intelligence (Foreign) and (2) Mobilisation. In 1900 another division, War, was added to deal with issues of strategy and defence, and in 1902
50-688: A collective responsibility for providing strategic direction to the department, managing performance and ensuring that defence delivers the required outputs. Lords Admiral were appointed from the 15th century; they were later styled Lords High Admiral until the 18th century, and Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty from the 17th century, as the governors of the English and later British Royal Navy . From 1683 to 1684, there were seven paid Commissioners, and one unpaid supernumerary Commissioner. The number varied between five and seven Commissioners through
75-577: A fourth division, Trade, was created for matters related to the protection of merchant shipping. The Trade Division was abolished in October 1909 in the wake of the Committee of Imperial Defence inquiry into the feud between the First Sea Lord , Admiral Sir John Fisher and former Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet , Admiral Lord Charles Beresford , when it was discovered that the captain heading
100-758: A military advisor to the National Security Council , the prime minister and the monarch . The First Sea Lord is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty of the Royal Navy unless the Chief of the Defence Staff is a naval officer. Admiral Ben Key was appointed First Sea Lord in November 2021. Originally titled the "Senior Naval Lord to the Board of Admiralty" when the post
125-680: A spade, the firm fighting mouth, the blunt square nose, and the keen blue eyes...the man, they say, that made the New British Navy". The real First Sea Lord at the time the story is set (early summer 1914) was Prince Louis of Battenberg , coincidentally also bearded. Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom The Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom (of England beginning in the 14th century, later of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800)
150-576: Is the ceremonial head of the Royal Navy . Most have been courtiers or members of the British royal family , and not professional naval officers. The Lord High Admiral is one of the nine English Great Officers of State and since 2021 is held personally by the reigning monarch (currently King Charles III , who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces ). In 1385 Richard, Earl of Arundel,
175-783: Is the professional head of the Royal Navy and a member of the Defence Council. He is responsible to Secretary of State for the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Naval Service. As a member of the Defence Council, the First Sea Lord supports the Secretary of State in the management and direction of the Armed Forces through prerogative and statutory powers. As a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, he advises CDS on maritime strategy and policy. He has
200-582: The Board of Admiralty . From the early 17th century onwards, when an individual Lord High Admiral was appointed, there was also a Council of the Lord High Admiral which assisted him to perform some of the duties of the Admiralty . When this office was not occupied by an individual, it was "put into commission" and exercised by a Board of Admiralty headed by a First Lord of the Admiralty ; this
225-658: The First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff ( 1SL/CNS ) is a statutory position in the British Armed Forces , usually held by an admiral . As the highest-ranking officer to serve in the Royal Navy , the chief is the principal military advisor on matters pertaining to the navy and a deputy to the Secretary of State for Defence . In a separate capacity, the CNS is a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and, thereby,
250-576: The 18th century. The standing of all the Commissioners was in theory the same, although the First Commissioner or First Lord exercised an ascendancy over his colleagues from an early date. The generally recognized office of Senior Naval Lord to the Board of Admiralty was established on 8 March 1689, with the first incumbent being Admiral Arthur Herbert ; he was also First Lord of the Admiralty . On 20 January 1690 Admiral Herbert
275-706: The Royal Navy during the Second World War, but he gave up a promising naval career to support Elizabeth as her consort. Upon Prince Philip's death in 2021, the identity of the holder of the office became obscure, i.e., there has been no official announcement about the office's holder since then. It is unknown whether the office of Lord High Admiral reverted back to the Crown, or if it is currently vacant, in which case it remains as such until His Majesty either assumes it, or grants it upon someone else. The Ministry of Defence had confirmed they did not hold information on
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#1732779665909300-801: The Trade Division had been supplying the latter with confidential information during the inquiry. In 1910, the NID was shorn of its responsibility for war planning and strategy when the outgoing Fisher created the Navy War Council as a stop-gap remedy to criticisms emanating from the Beresford Inquiry that the Navy needed a naval staff—a role the NID had been in fact fulfilling since at least 1900, if not earlier. After this reorganisation, war planning and strategic matters were transferred to
325-662: The appointment of Sir Jackie Fisher in 1904. In 1917 the First Sea Lord was re-styled First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff . From 1923 onward, the First Sea Lord was a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee , and from 1923 to 1959, in rotation with the representatives of the other services (the Chief of the Imperial General Staff and Chief of the Air Staff ), he served as the chairman of that committee and head of all British armed forces. The title
350-570: The authority to establish courts of Admiralty . During the reign of Henry VIII (1509–47) the English Navy had expanded to a point where it could not be managed by a single Lord High Admiral alone, therefore day-to-day management of the navy was handed over to a committee that later became known as the Navy Board . The navy board had Samuel Pepys as one of its members during the reign of Charles II (1660–85), and it ran side-by-side with
375-480: The first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents. On 2 May 1827 the Board of Admiralty once again ceased control of Naval Affairs and was replaced, until 1828, by a Lord High Admirals Council . The title of the First Naval Lord was changed to First Sea Lord on
400-483: The issue, but suggested it had been resumed by Queen Elizabeth II in right of the Crown. Upon Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022, the office was reported to have been passed to King Charles III . The office is understood to be held by the Monarch (currently King Charles III) by default and can be granted to whomever is chosen by the Monarch. Before 1707 there was an office of Lord High Admiral of Scotland . Following
425-403: The new Admiralty Board becoming a sub-committee (Navy) of the tri-service Defence Council of the United Kingdom . The ancient title of Lord High Admiral was resumed, by the sovereign personally. Elizabeth II held the title for the next 47 years, until in 2011 she conferred the office upon her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , to celebrate his 90th birthday. Philip had served in
450-1164: The newly created Naval Mobilisation Department and the NID reverted to the position it held prior to 1887—an intelligence collection and collation organisation. In 1912 the department was restructured with most of its divisions and functions being absorbed within the Admiralty War Staff organisation the department was abolished and re-emerged as the Naval Intelligence Division of the new department. Directors of Naval Intelligence included: Included: Assistant Director Mobilisation Division Assistant Director War Division Assistant Director Foreign Division Assistant Director Trade Division Assistant Director Coastal Defences Division The distribution of intelligence work within specialist divisions assigned for those tasks can be seen below. Responsibilities included: Responsibilities included: Responsibilities included: Responsibilities included: Responsibilities included: First Sea Lord The First Sea Lord , officially known as
475-400: The post of First Sea Lord or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure: In John Buchan's novel The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), the First Sea Lord is named as Lord Alloa, an impostor whom Richard Hannay recognizes at a meeting as a spy and recent pursuer of his. Hannay describes Lord Alloa as recognizable from news pictures for his "beard cut like
500-632: Was appointed Admiral of England, reuniting the offices of Admiral of the North and Admiral of the West , separate from 1294. From 1388 the offices of Admiral of the North and of the West were again distinct, though often held by the same man, until "Admirals of England" were appointed continuously from 1406. The titles "High Admiral" and "Lord Admiral" were both used, eventually combining in "Lord High Admiral". The Lord High Admiral did not originally have command at sea, but had jurisdiction over maritime affairs and
525-564: Was created in 1689, the office was re-styled First Naval Lord in 1771. The concept of a professional "First Naval Lord" was introduced in 1805, and the title of the office was changed to First Sea Lord on the appointment of Sir John "Jackie" Fisher in 1904. Since 1923, the First Sea Lord has been a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee; he now sits on the Defence Council and the Admiralty Board . The First Sea Lord
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#1732779665909550-530: Was retained when the Board of Admiralty was abolished in 1964 and the Board's functions were integrated into the Ministry of Defence. Under the current organisation, the First Sea Lord sits on the Defence Council , the Admiralty Board and the Navy Board . Since 2012, the flagship of the First Sea Lord has nominally been the ship of the line HMS Victory , which used to be Lord Nelson's flagship. The following table lists all those who have held
575-533: Was succeeded by Admiral Sir John Chicheley under First Lord of Admiralty Thomas Herbert, Earl of Pembroke . On 22 May 1702 the Board of Admiralty ceased control of Naval Affairs and was replaced by the Lord Admiral's Council . The previous office of Senior Naval Lord was replaced by a Senior Member to the Lords Admiral Council ; he was usually a serving naval officer of admiral rank and
600-648: Was the Chief Naval Adviser to the Lord Admiral. This lasted until 8 November 1709, when the Board of Admiralty resumed control of Naval Affairs and the post of Senior Naval Lord was resumed. On 2 February 1771 the office of Senior Naval Lord was renamed to First Naval Lord . The first post holder was Vice-Admiral Augustus Hervey ; he first served under First Lord of the Admiralty John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich . In 1805, for
625-485: Was the usual arrangement from 1709 until it was merged with the Admiralty in 1832. However, the office of Lord High Admiral, which—except for brief periods during its long history—had remained extant, was not abolished as an official naval post until 1964. In 1964, the office of First Lord of the Admiralty was also abolished and the functions of the Lords Commissioners of Admiralty were transferred to
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