Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office, which has generally held by a senior (and often retired) Royal Navy admiral. The title holder is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary (although once operational) office which is (as of 2025) vested in the Sovereign.
In former days, the Vice-Admiral of England (or Vice-Admiral of Great Britain following the 1707 union with Scotland) was the second most powerful position in the Royal Navy. The post was for many years held jointly with that of Lieutenant of the Admiralty.
Below the office of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom ranks the Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom, another now honorary office.
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History
The office was originally created on 25 April 1513, by Tudor King Henry VIII. The office holder served as the deputy of the Lord High Admiral from April 1546. From 1557 to 1558 Vice-Admiral Sir John Clere of Ormesby was appointed Vice-Admiral of England by patent but not appointed Lieutenant of the Admiralty.
In 1727, following the accession of King George II, the Earl of Berkeley (who had served as "Vice-Admiral of Great Britain" in the previous reign) was reappointed to the office as "Vice-Admiral of Great Britain, and Lieutenant of the Admiralty thereof, and Lieutenant of the Navies and Seas of this Kingdom". The same wording was used for subsequent appointees during the 18th century, and similarly in the 19th ('Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Lieutenant of the Admiralty thereof, and also Lieutenant of the Navies and Seas of the said United Kingdom'). This usage pertained up to and including Sir Davidge Gould's appointment in 1846. His successor Sir Robert Stopford was appointed 'Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Lieutenant of the Admiralty thereof'; this form of words continued to be used into the 21st century (albeit with appropriate modification after the partition of Ireland).
For many years the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom had received a salary (in addition to half-pay), but in 1870 this payment (by then amounting to £432 1s 9d per annum) was abolished by Order in Council.
The Vice-Admiral (or in his absence the Rear-Admiral) of the United Kingdom regularly took part in the State Procession at the State Opening of Parliament, up until 1998 (when representation of the armed forces in the procession was scaled back).
Up to and including the appointment of Sir Jeremy Black (2001–2005), the office was formally gazetted as 'Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom and Lieutenant of the Admiralty thereof'. Subsequently, the appointment of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom came to be joined with that of Commander-in-Chief Fleet, until that post was discontinued in 2012. Since then, the appointment has been gazetted simply as Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom.
In July 2025, Queen Camilla became the first female Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom.
Vice-Admirals of England
Vice-Admiral William FitzWilliam 25 April 1513 – 1536
Post in abeyance
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Clere April 1546 – December 1552
Vice-Admiral Sir William Woodhouse, December 1552 – 1557
Vice-Admiral Sir John Clere of Ormesby 1557 – 1558
Post in abeyance
Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Leveson April 1604 – July 1605
Post in abeyance
Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Mansell 1618 – 1648
Post in abeyance
Vice-Admiral Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich 1 April 1661 – 28 May 1672
Vice-Admiral Prince Rupert of the Rhine 15 August 1672 – 19 November 1682
Vice-Admiral Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton 2 December 1682 – 1689
Vice-Admiral Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington 14 September 1689 – 18 December 1690
vacant?
Vice-Admiral Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford 9 November 1693 – ?
Vice-Admiral Sir George Rooke 1702 – 1 May 1707
Vice-Admirals of Great Britain
Sir George Rooke 1 May 1707 – 24 January 1709?
James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of Berkeley 18 March 1718 (N.S.) – 17 August 1736
Sir John Norris April 1739 – 14 June 1749
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson 4 July 1749 – 6 June 1762
Henry Osborn 4 January 1763 – 1765
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke 5 November 1765 – 16 October 1781
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney 6 November 1781 – 24 May 1792
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe 9 June 1792 – March 1796
Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport March 1796 – 1801
Vice-Admirals of the United Kingdom
Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport 1 January 1801 – 2 May 1814
Sir William Cornwallis 14 May 1814 – 5 July 1819
Sir William Young 18 July 1819 – 25 October 1821
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez 21 November 1821 – 15 February 1832
Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth 15 February 1832 – 23 January 1833
Sir Edward Thornbrough 30 January 1833 – 3 April 1834
Sir George Martin April 1834 – 9 November 1846
Sir Davidge Gould 17 November 1846 – 23 April 1847
Sir Robert Stopford 5 May 1847 – 25 June 1847
Sir George Martin 10 July 1847 – 28 July 1847
Sir Thomas Byam Martin 10 August 1847 – 21 October 1854
Sir William Hall Gage 6 November 1854 – 20 May 1862
Sir Graham Hamond, 2nd Baronet 5 June 1862 – 10 November 1862
Sir Francis Austen 11 December 1862 – 27 April 1863
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald 16 May 1863 – 12 September 1865
Sir George Seymour 23 September 1865 – 20 November 1866