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Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in a military regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family. The position was formerly used in the armies of several European monarchies. A Colonel-in-Chief has a purely ceremonial role in their regiment.

The Norwegian Army has taken a more whimsical approach to the position, appointing the penguin Sir Nils Olav as a Colonel-in-Chief.^[1][2]

History

Historically a Colonel-in-Chief was the ceremonial head of a regiment, usually a member of a European country's royal family. The practice extends at least back to 1740 in Prussia when Frederick II held that position in the newly created Garde du Corps, an elite heavy cavalry regiment.^{[3][unreliable source?]}

By the late 19th Century the designation could be given to the children of royalty; pictures exist of the daughters of Russian Czar Nicholas II in the uniforms of their regiments.^[4] The German Kaiser Wilhelm II carried the title to an extreme, holding it in literally dozens of German and (by diplomatic courtesy) Austro-Hungarian, British, Russian, and Portuguese regiments. In addition, his mother, wife, son, and daughters were also full or deputy Colonels-in-Chief of various units.^[5]

Role

In modern usage, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its (usually royal) patron, who has a ceremonial role in the life of the regiment. They do not have an 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.^{[citation needed]} Some artillery 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.^[when?] While it is traditional for a royal personage to hold the position,^{[6][not in citation given]} it is at the discretion of the regiment or corps^{[clarification needed]} whom they invite.

As of 2015^[update], most Colonels-in-Chief in the British Army are members of the British royal family. However, two foreign monarchs hold the position^{[citation needed]}:

• 
  The King of Jordan - The Light Dragoons
  


• 
  The Queen of Denmark - The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
  

Winston Churchill inspecting the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, of which he was Honorary Colonel, in Italy during 1944

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, whilst Winston Churchill was Honorary Colonel of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, the regiment he served in before entering politics. The Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson was invited to be Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry,^[7] while the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps decided to ask the Governor-General of Australia to serve as its Colonel-in-Chief.^[8] These exceptions, however, do not change the raison d'être of the post, which is to serve as a personal link between regiment and Monarch.^{[citation needed]}

The role has spread to other armies in the Commonwealth of Nations, at least in countries which have royal families.

List of Colonels-in-Chief

Australia

• 
  Royal Australian Armoured Corps - The Prince of Wales
  


• 
  Royal Australian Infantry Corps - The Queen
  


• 
  Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery - The Queen (Captain General)


• 
  Corps of Royal Australian Engineers - The Queen


• 
  Royal Australian Corps of Signals - The Princess Royal
  


• 
  Royal Australian Corps of Transport - The Princess Royal
  


• 
  Royal Australian Army Medical Corps - The Governor-General of Australia
  


• 
  Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps - The Queen


• 
  Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps - The Queen


• 
  Corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - The Duke of Edinburgh
  


• 
  Royal Australian Army Educational Corps - The Duchess of Gloucester
  


• 
  Royal Australian Corps of Military Police - The Duchess of Cornwall
  

Bermuda

• 
  The Royal Bermuda Regiment - The Duchess of Gloucester
  

Canada

Armoured

• 
  The Royal Canadian Dragoons - The Prince of Wales
  


• 
  Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Governor General's Horse Guards - The Queen


• 
  8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) - The Princess Royal
  


• 
  The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) - The Duke of York
  


• 
  The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) - The Earl of Wessex
  


• 
  South Alberta Light Horse - The Countess of Wessex
  


• 
  The Saskatchewan Dragoons - The Earl of Wessex
  


• 
  The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) - The Queen
  

Infantry

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with troops of The Royal Canadian Regiment, of which he is Colonel-in-Chief, in 2013

• 
  The Royal Canadian Regiment - The Duke of Edinburgh
  


• 
  Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry - The Rt Hon Adrienne Clarkson
  


• 
  Royal 22^e Régiment - The Queen


• 
  Governor General's Foot Guards - The Queen


• 
  The Canadian Grenadier Guards - The Queen


• 
  The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada - The Duchess of Cornwall
  


• 
  The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Royal Regiment of Canada - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment - The Earl of Wessex


• 
  The Lincoln and Welland Regiment - The Countess of Wessex


• 
  The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada - The Duke of York


• 
  The Grey and Simcoe Foresters - The Princess Royal


• 
  The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) - The Duke of Kent
  


• 
  Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders - The Queen


• 
  Le Régiment de la Chaudière - The Queen


• 
  The Princess Louise Fusiliers - The Duke of York


• 
  The Royal New Brunswick Regiment - The Queen


• 
  The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  The Royal Winnipeg Rifles - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Essex and Kent Scottish - Prince Michael of Kent
  


• 
  48th Highlanders of Canada - The Queen


• 
  The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) - The Queen


• 
  The Royal Regina Rifles - The Princess Royal


• 
  The Rocky Mountain Rangers - The Queen


• 
  The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) - vacant


• 
  The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  The Calgary Highlanders - The Queen


• 
  The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) - Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
  


• 
  The Irish Regiment of Canada - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Own) - The Prince of Wales


• 
  Royal Newfoundland Regiment - The Princess Royal

Personnel branches

• 
  The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – The Queen (styled Captain General)


• 
  Canadian Military Engineers – The Queen


• 
  Communications and Electronics Branch – The Princess Royal


• 
  Royal Canadian Medical Service – The Princess Royal


• 
  Royal Canadian Dental Corps – The Duchess of Gloucester
  


• 
  Legal Branch – The Queen^[9]

Further information: List of Canadian organizations with Royal Patronage: Military

 Malaysia

Malaysian Army

Combat

• 
  Royal Malay Regiment - The Sultan of Kedah
  


• 
  Royal Ranger Regiment - The Raja of Perlis
  


• 
  Royal Armoured Corps - The Sultan of Terengganu
  


• 
  Special Operations Regiment - The Sultan of Johor
  

Combat Support

• 
  Royal Artillery Regiment - The King of Malaysia, The Sultan of Kelantan
  


• 
  Royal Regiment of Engineers - The Sultan of Perak
  


• 
  Royal Signals Regiment - The Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
  

Service Support

• 
  Royal Service Corps - The Sultan of Kedah
  


• 
  Royal Ordnance Corps - The Sultan of Terengganu
  


• 
  Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps - The Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
  

Royal Malaysian Air Force

• 
  Royal Malaysian Air Force - The Sultan of Pahang (formerly Air Commodore-in-Chief until 1970)

Royal Malaysian Navy

• 
  Royal Malaysian Navy - The Sultan of Selangor
  

New Zealand

• 
  Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps - The Queen
  


• 
  Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment - The Queen


• 
  Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery - The Queen (Captain General)


• 
  Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers - The Queen


• 
  Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals - The Princess Royal
  


• 
  Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment - The Duke of York
  


• 
  Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps - The Queen


• 
  Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - The Duke of Edinburgh
  


• 
  Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps - The Princess Royal


• 
  Royal New Zealand Army Educational Corps - The Duchess of Gloucester
  

Norway

Sir Nils Olav (a penguin) inspects troops of the Norwegian Royal Guard, of which he is Colonel-in-Chief

• 
  His Majesty The King's Guard - Sir Nils Olav, a penguin^[1][2]

Papua New Guinea

• 
  Royal Pacific Islands Regiment - The Prince of Wales
  

United Kingdom

Cavalry

Elizabeth II inspecting troops of the Royal Lancers, of which she is Colonel-in-Chief, in 2015

• 
  The Life Guards - The Queen
  


• 
  The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) - The Queen
  


• 
  1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards - The Prince of Wales
  


• 
  The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) - The Queen
  


• 
  The Royal Dragoon Guards - The Prince of Wales
  


• 
  The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) - The Duke of Edinburgh
  


• 
  The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth's Own) - The Queen
  


• 
  The King's Royal Hussars - The Princess Royal
  


• 
  The Light Dragoons - The King of Jordan
  


• 
  The Royal Tank Regiment - The Queen
  


• 
  The Royal Yeomanry - Princess Alexandra
  


• 
  The Royal Wessex Yeomanry - The Earl of Wessex
  


• 
  The Queen's Own Yeomanry - The Prince of Wales
  


• 
  The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry - to be confirmed

Infantry

• 
  Grenadier Guards - The Queen


• 
  Coldstream Guards - The Queen


• 
  Scots Guards - The Queen


• 
  Irish Guards - The Queen


• 
  Welsh Guards - The Queen


• 
  The Royal Regiment of Scotland - The Queen


• 
  The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) - The Queen of Denmark
  


• 
  The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) - The Queen


• 
  The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers - The Duke of Kent
  


• 
  The Royal Anglian Regiment - The Duke of Gloucester
  


• 
  The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) - The Duke of York


• 
  The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Royal Welsh - The Queen


• 
  The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment) - The Duke of York


• 
  The Parachute Regiment - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Royal Gurkha Rifles - The Prince of Wales


• 
  The Rifles - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  The Royal Gibraltar Regiment - HE The Governor of Gibraltar
  

Combat Support

• 
  Army Air Corps - The Prince of Wales


• 
  Corps of Royal Engineers - The Queen


• 
  Intelligence Corps - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  Royal Corps of Signals - The Princess Royal


• 
  Royal Regiment of Artillery - The Queen (styled Captain-General)

Combat Service Support

• 
  Adjutant General's Corps - The Queen


• 
  Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - The Duke of Edinburgh


• 
  Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps - The Countess of Wessex
  


• 
  Royal Army Dental Corps - The Duchess of Gloucester
  


• 
  Royal Army Medical Corps - The Duke of Gloucester


• 
  Royal Army Veterinary Corps - The Princess Royal


• 
  Royal Logistic Corps - The Princess Royal


• 
  Small Arms School Corps - The Duke of York

References