Admiral lord

Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , Lord Admiral since 2011

Lord Admiral (or Lord High Admiral ) ( eng. Lord Admiral; Lord High Admiral ) is one of the highest government posts in the UK .

Lord Admiral carried out the supreme command of the royal fleet, controlled the state of all seaports of the state, shipping bays and coasts. The Lord Admiral has also appointed judges of the law of the sea with civil and criminal jurisdiction.

In England, the post of Lord Admiral arose around 1400 . Under King Henry VIII , the Naval Council was created, which oversaw all administrative matters of the royal fleet, while the operational management remained in the hands of the Lord Admiral. Beginning in 1628 , after the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham , the functions of Lord Admiral gradually transferred to a collegial body - a committee of Lords - Admiralty assessors , led by the First Lord of the Admiralty, who was also a member of the ruling cabinet of England.

In Scotland, the formation of the Institute of Lord Admiral dates back to the beginning of the XV century . Initially, this post was hereditary in the family of Earls of Botwell , and later - of the Dukes of Lennox . After the unification of England and Scotland in 1707, the functions of Lord Admiral of Scotland passed to the Lord Admiral of Great Britain, to whom the Vice Admiral for Scotland was subordinate, having mainly judicial powers.

Beginning in 1709 (with the exception of 1827-1828), the duties of Lord Admiral of Great Britain were constantly performed by members of the Admiralty Committee. In 1964, the Admiralty became part of the UK Department of Defense and the committee was abolished, and the ceremonial title of Lord Admiral returned to the crown. In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II renounced the title of Lord Admiral and granted it to her husband, Duke of Edinburgh , in honor of his 90th birthday.