Field marshal (United Kingdom)


Field Marshal has been the highest rank in the British Army since 1736. A five-star rank with NATO code OF-10, it is equivalent to an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy or a Marshal of the Royal Air Force in the Royal Air Force. A Field Marshal's insignia consists of two crossed batons surrounded by yellow leaves below St Edward's Crown. Like Marshals of the RAF and Admirals of the Fleet, Field Marshals traditionally remain officers for life, though on half-pay when not in an appointment. The rank has been used sporadically throughout its history and was vacant during parts of the 18th and 19th centuries. After the Second World War, it became standard practice to appoint the Chief of the Imperial General Staff to the rank on his last day in the post. Army officers occupying the post of Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of all the British Armed Forces, were usually promoted to the rank upon their appointment.
In total, 141 men have held the rank of field marshal. The majority led careers in the British Army or the British Indian Army, rising through the ranks to eventually become a field marshal. Some members of the British Royal Family—most recently Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Charles, Prince of Wales—were promoted to the rank after shorter periods of service. Three British monarchs—George V, Edward VIII, and George VI— assumed the rank on their accessions to the throne, while Edward VII was already a field marshal, and two British consorts—Albert, Prince Consort and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh—were appointed by their respective queens. Other ceremonial appointments were made as diplomatic gestures. Twelve foreign monarchs held the honour, though three were stripped of it when their countries became enemies of Britain and her allies in the two world wars. Also awarded the rank were one Frenchman and one Australian, honoured for their contributions to World War I and World War II respectively, and one foreign statesman.
A report commissioned by the Ministry of Defence in 1995 made a number of recommendations for financial savings in the armed forces' budget, one of which was the abolition of the five-star ranks. Part of the rationale was that these ranks were disproportionate to the size of the forces commanded by these officers and that none of the United Kingdom's close allies, such as the United States, used such ranks. The recommendation was not taken up in full, but the practice of promoting service chiefs to five-star ranks was stopped and the ranks are now reserved for special circumstances. Sir Peter Inge was, in 1994, the last active officer to be promoted to the rank. Inge relinquished the post of Chief of the Defence Staff in 1997 and his successor, Sir Charles Guthrie, was the first officer not to be promoted upon appointment as CDS.
The most recent promotions to field marshal came in 2012, eighteen years after the moratorium on routine promotions to the rank, when Queen Elizabeth II promoted Prince Charles, her son and heir apparent, to the five-star ranks in all three services, in recognition of support provided for her in her capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces. At the same time, Guthrie, who relinquished the post of CDS and retired from active service in 2001, was promoted to honorary field marshal. In June 2014 former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Walker of Aldringham was also promoted to honorary field marshal.
Although the rank of field marshal is not used in the Royal Marines, the insignia is used on the uniform of the Captain General, the ceremonial head of the corps.

Insignia of rank

The rank insignia of a field marshal in the British Army comprises two crossed batons in a wreath of oak leaves, with a crown above. In some other countries, historically under the sphere of British influence, an adapted version of the insignia is used for field marshals, often with the crown being replaced with an alternative cultural or national emblem. On appointment, British field marshals are awarded a gold-tipped baton which they may carry on formal occasions.

List of field marshals

The vast majority of officers to hold the rank of field marshal were professional soldiers in the British Army, though eleven served as officers in the British Indian Army. At least fifty-seven field marshals were wounded in battle earlier in their careers, of whom 24 were wounded more than once, and eight had been prisoners of war. Fifteen future field marshals were present at the Battle of Vitoria, where the Duke of Wellington earned the rank, and ten others served under Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. However, only thirty-eight held independent commands in the field, and just twelve served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces or Chief of the Imperial General Staff during a major war.
Four field marshals—Sir Evelyn Wood, Sir George White, Earl Roberts, and Lord Gort—had previously received the Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom's highest and most prestigious award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy". Wood, a famously injury-prone officer, was awarded the VC for two actions in 1858 in which he first attacked a group of rebels in India and later rescued an informant from another group of rebels. White, a cavalry officer, led two charges on enemy guns in Afghanistan in 1879, while Gort, of the Grenadier Guards, commanded a series of attacks while severely wounded during the First World War in 1918. Roberts received his VC for actions during the Indian Mutiny.
Wellington, 44 at the time of his promotion, was the youngest non-royal officer to earn the rank of field marshal. Charles Moore, 1st Marquess of Drogheda was the oldest, promoted at the age of 91, while a further twenty-three officers were promoted to field marshal in their eighties. Wellington was also the only field marshal to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, though several others served as cabinet ministers.
No officer whose career was spent in the British Army has ever reached the rank of field marshal without having served in the cavalry, infantry, Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers. Two non-British officers have been appointed field marshals in the British Army—Ferdinand Foch of France and Sir Thomas Blamey of Australia, in recognition of their contributions in the First and Second World Wars respectively—while only one, Sir William Robertson, held every rank in the British Army, from private soldier to field marshal.
Name and styleRegimentImageBornDiedDate of promotion
George Hamilton, 1st Earl of OrkneyRoyal Regiment of Foot166617371736-01-1212 January 1736
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of ArgyllEarl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot168017431736-01-1414 January 1736
Richard Boyle, 2nd Viscount ShannonHorse Guards Regiment1674174017392 July 1739
François de La Rochefoucauld, Marquis de Montandre1672173917392 July 1739
John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair26th Regiment of Foot167317471742-03-1818 March 1742
Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham6th Regiment of Foot166917491742-12-1414 December 1742
George WadeEarl of Bath's Regiment167317481742-12-1414 December 1742
Sir Robert Rich, 4th BaronetGrenadier Guards 168517681757-11-2828 November 1757
Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount MolesworthRoyal Scots168017581757-11-2929 November 1757
John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier10th Regiment of Foot168017701757-11-3030 November 1757
James O'Hara, 2nd Baron Tyrawley39th Regiment of Foot1690177317631 June 1763
Henry Seymour Conway5th Royal Irish Lancers172117941793-10-1212 October 1793
Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh13th Regiment of Foot174318051793-10-1212 October 1793
Sir George Howard24th Regiment of Foot172017961793-10-1212 October 1793
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and AlbanyGrenadier Guards176318271795-02-1010 February 1795
John Campbell, 5th Duke of ArgyllRoyal Scots Fusiliers172318061796-07-3030 July 1796
Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron AmherstGrenadier Guards171717971796-07-3030 July 1796
John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de WaldenScots Guards171917971796-07-3030 July 1796
Studholme HodgsonGrenadier Guards170817981796-07-3030 July 1796
George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend7th Queen's Own Hussars172418071796-07-3030 July 1796
Lord Frederick CavendishColdstream Guards172918031796-07-3030 July 1796
Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of RichmondColdstream Guards173518061796-07-3030 July 1796
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and StrathearnRoyal Fusiliers1767182018055 September 1805
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington33rd Regiment of Foot176918521813-06-2121 June 1813
Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale— 1771185118136 November 1813
Prince Adolphus, Duke of CambridgeHanoverian Guards177418501813-11-2626 November 1813
Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and EdinburghScots Guards17761834181624 May 1816
Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha— 17901865181624 May 1816
Charles Moore, 1st Marquess of Drogheda12th Dragoons173018211821-07-1919 July 1821
William Harcourt, 3rd Earl HarcourtGrenadier Guards174318301821-07-1919 July 1821
Sir Alured Clarke50th Regiment of Foot174518321830-07-2222 July 1830
Sir Samuel HulseGrenadier Guards1747 or 174818371830-07-2222 July 1830
— 1819186118408 February 1840
William II— 17921847184528 July 1845
39th Regiment of Foot175718491846-11-099 November 1846
Grenadier Guards176418511846-11-099 November 1846
80th Regiment of Foot 176818541846-11-099 November 1846
4th Light Dragoons1788185518545 November 1854
23rd Regiment of Foot177318651855-10-022 October 1855
33rd Regiment of Foot177218601855-10-022 October 1855
Queen's Rangers178518561855-10-022 October 1855
East Devonshire Regiment1779186318601 April 1860
99th Regiment of Foot1778186818629 November 1862
Seaforth Highlanders1779186918629 November 1862
12th Royal Lancers1819190418629 November 1862
9th Regiment of Foot1792186318629 November 1862
9th Regiment of Foot1782187018681 January 1868
9th Regiment of Foot1784187518681 January 1868
Royal Artillery1779186818681 January 1868
Royal Engineers1782187118681 January 1868
Bengal Artillery17861872187024 May 1870
— 178518771875-05-2929 May 1875
Grenadier Guards178718761875-05-2929 May 1875
Edward VII— 18411910187529 May 1875
52nd Regiment of Foot178918791877-06-022 June 1877
35th Regiment of Foot179018801877-06-022 June 1877
93rd Regiment of Foot180118851877-06-022 June 1877
Bengal Engineer Group181018901883-01-011 January 1883
11th Bengal Native Infantry180418951883-06-2424 June 1883
64th Regiment of Foot180418861886-03-2727 March 1886
Royal Artillery179918861886-03-2727 March 1886
85th Regiment of Foot 180418931886-07-1010 July 1886
6th Regiment of Foot18001888188721 June 1887
Royal Engineers182119031890-05-2121 May 1890
4th Regiment of Foot181819091890-05-2121 May 1890
9th Bengal Native Infantry182419001894-05-2426 May 1894
12th Regiment of Foot183319131894-05-2426 May 1894
Bengal Artillery18321914189525 May 1895
67th Regiment of Foot18231902189722 June 1897
55th Bengal Native Infantry18201902190025 April 1900
Wilhelm II, German Emperor— 18591941190127 January 1901
1st Bengal Native Infantry182619041902-06-2626 June 1902
Royal Engineers185019421902-06-2626 June 1902
13th Light Dragoons183819191903-04-088 April 1903
27th Regiment of Foot183519121903-04-088 April 1903
Franz Joseph I of Austria— 1830191619031 September 1903
King's Royal Rifle Corps184119251908-04-1111 April 1908
51st Sikhs 183119161908-06-2020 June 1908
Royal Engineers18501916190910 September 1909
George VRoyal Welsh Fusiliers — 1865193619107 May 1910
Scots Guards184519321911-06-1919 June 1911
Royal Engineers184519181911-06-1919 June 1911
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars1852192519133 June 1913
Nicholas II of Russia— 1868191819161 January 1916
7th Queen's Own Hussars186119281917-01-011 January 1917
31st Regiment of Foot184819211917-03-1616 March 1917
— 1879192619181 January 1918
35th Artillery Regiment – 18511929191919 July 1919
York and Lancaster Regiment185719321919-07-3131 July 1919
6th Dragoons186119361919-07-3131 July 1919
Rifle Brigade 186419221919-07-3131 July 1919
3rd Dragoon Guards18601933192029 March 1920
44th Regiment of Foot18571926192112 April 1921
Albert I of Belgium— 1875193419214 July 1921
Royal Scots Fusiliers18651951192520 March 1925
Worcestershire Regiment18631948192630 November 1926
Royal Artillery18661948192830 January 1928
Alfonso XIII of Spain— 188619411928-06-033 June 1928
Hirohito — 190119891928-06-2626 June 1928
King's Royal Rifle Corps186119351932-07-1717 July 1932
Grenadier Guards186519461932-10-3131 October 1932
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry18691950193313 February 1933
Royal Artillery1871194719357 June 1935
Edward VIII— 189419721936-01-2121 January 1936
West Yorkshire Regiment18741947193615 May 1936
George VI— 189519521936-12-1212 December 1936
Royal Artillery18801959194020 July 1940
— 187019501941-05-2424 May 1941
Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment18811944194118 November 1941
Grenadier Guards188619461943-01-011 January 1943
Black Watch188319501943-01-011 January 1943
Royal Artillery188319631944-01-011 January 1944
Irish Guards189119691944-06-044 June 1944
Royal Warwickshire Regiment188719761944-09-011 September 1944
Rifle Brigade 188119641944-12-3929 December 1944
62nd Punjabis 1884198119461 June 1946
William "Bill" Slim, 1st Viscount SlimRoyal Warwickshire Regiment1891197019484 January 1948
Sir Thomas Blamey— 188419511950-06-088 June 1950
Royal Navy – 1921Living195315 January 1953
John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of PethertonSomerset Light Infantry18961989195321 July 1953
Prince Henry, Duke of GloucesterKing's Royal Rifle Corps19001974195531 March 1955
Sir Gerald TemplerRoyal Irish Fusiliers18981979195627 November 1956
Sir Francis FestingRifle Brigade 1902197619601 September 1960
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah— 19201972196217 October 1962
Haile Selassie I— 18921975196520 January 1965
Sir Richard Hull17th/21st Lancers1907198919658 February 1965
Sir James CasselsSeaforth Highlanders19071996196829 February 1968
Sir Geoffrey BakerRoyal Artillery19121980197131 January 1971
Michael Carver, Baron CarverRoyal Tank Corps19152001197318 July 1973
Sir Roland GibbsKing's Royal Rifle Corps19212004197913 July 1979
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah— 19452001198018 November 1980
Edwin Bramall, Baron BramallKing's Royal Rifle Corps1923201919821 January 1982
Sir John Stanier7th Queen's Own Hussars192520071985-07-1010 July 1985
Sir Nigel BagnallGreen Howards1927200219889 September 1988
Richard Vincent, Baron Vincent of ColeshillRoyal Artillery1931201819912 April 1991
Sir John Chapple2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles 1931Living199214 February 1992
Prince Edward, Duke of KentRoyal Scots Greys – 1935Living199311 June 1993
Peter Inge, Baron IngeGreen Howards1935Living199415 March 1994
Charles, Prince of WalesWelsh Guards, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force – 1948Living201216 June 2012
Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of CraigiebankWelsh Guards1938Living201216 June 2012
Michael Walker, Baron Walker of AldringhamRoyal Anglian Regiment1944Living201413 June 2014