Flag Officer, Royal Yachts

Office of the Flag Officer, Royal Yachts
Office of the Flag Officer, Royal Yachts
	Ensign of the Royal Navy
	Admiralty, Ministry of Defence
Reports to	First Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief, Fleet
Nominator	Secretary of State for Defence
Appointer	Prime Minister; Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–4 years)
Inaugural holder	Vice-Admiral Sir John R.T. Fullerton
Formation	1884-1997

The Flag Officer, Royal Yachts, (FORY) also styled Flag Officer Commanding Royal Yachts ^[1] was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1884 to 1997.

History

Royal yachts have been a feature of the monarchy since at least 1660,^[2] during this period command of the Royal Yacht was usually held by a captain.^[3] The office of Flag Officer, Royal Yachts was established by letters patent on 15 October 1884. Royal Yachts was an independent command, administered personally by the Flag Officer, Royal Yachts. It was standard protocol for the (FORY) to be appointed as an extra equerry to the monarch and, as such, was a member of the royal household.^[4] The post existed until 1997 when it was abolished as separate command.

Duties

At various times included:^[5]

Acts as the host at official receptions on behalf of the monarch when the royal yacht visits countries when no member of the royal family is embarked.
Exercises tactical control over Royal Navy, Commonwealth and foreign warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary forming the Royal Squadron when the monarch or other members of the royal family are embarked.
Hosts receptions on behalf of the monarch during sea days or commercial seminars held on board in support of British industry. These events bring FORY into direct and frequent contact with Heads of State and Government, and captains of industry.
Keeps the First Sea Lord and Commander in Chief, Fleet informed of all plans in relation to HM Royal Yachts programme.
Responsible for HM Royal Yachts safe and efficient operation at all times. and for the detailed planning of its programme.

Note: Royal Squadron should not be confused with Royal Yacht Squadron.

Flag officer commanding

Post holders included:^[6]

Vice-Admiral Sir John R. T. Fullerton: October 1884-April 1901
Rear-Admiral the Hon. Hedworth Lambton: April 1901-April 1903 (Cdre Royal Yachts from 1901 to 1902)
Rear-Admiral Sir Archibald Berkeley Milne, Bt.: April 1903-August 1905
Rear-Admiral Sir Colin R. Keppel: August 1905-August 1909
Commodore Norman C. Palmer: August 1909-December 1913
Commodore Douglas R. L. Nicholson: December 1913-August 1914
Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir Hubert G. Brand: May 1919-April 1922
Admiral Sir Henry T. Buller: April 1922-December 1931
Admiral the Hon. Sir Herbert Meade Fetherstonhaugh: April 1931-December 1934
Vice-Admiral Sir Dudley B. N. North: December 1934-September 1939
Vice-Admiral Sir E. M. Conolly Abel Smith: February 1953-January 1958
Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Dawnay: January 1958-January 1962
Rear-Admiral Sir Joseph C.C. Henley: January 1962-March 1965
Rear-Admiral Sir Patrick J. Morgan: March 1965-August 1970
Rear-Admiral Sir Richard J. Trowbridge: August 1970-September 1975
Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh P. Janion: September 1975-February 1981
Rear-Admiral Sir Paul W. Greening: February 1981-September 1985
Rear-Admiral Sir John Garnier: September 1985-September 1990
Rear-Admiral Sir Robert N. Woodard: September 1990-April 1995
Commodore Anthony J.C. Morrow: April 1995-December 1997

Note: Post holders sometimes styled as Admiral, Vice-Admiral, Rear-Admiral or Commodore Commanding Royal Yachts or HM Yachts

Royal Yachts

References

Footnotes

^ "Flag Officer Royal Yachts , vol 236 cc171-2W". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard, 25 January 1994. 25 January 1994. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
^ Davies, Caroline (4 September 2015). "From tartan to tippling: A to Z of things two queens have in common". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
^ Barker, Matthew Henry (1844). The old sailor's jolly boat, steered by M.H. Barker. Nottingham and Leicester: Allen and Allen. p. 347.
^ "The Royal Yacht Britannia: Naval Historical Review". www.navyhistory.org.au. Naval History Society, June 1983. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
^ "Flag Officer Royal Yachts , vol 236 cc171-2W". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard, 25 January 1994. 25 January 1994. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
^ Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie, p.100, February 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2017.

Sources

Hansard (1994) "Flag Officer Royal Yachts, vol 236 cc171-2W". hansard.millbanksystems.com. Hansard.
Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. (2016) "H.M. Yachts (Royal Navy)". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, England, UK.
Mackie, Colin (2018). "British Armed Forces: Royal Navy Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Scotland, UK.
Naval History Society (1983) "The Royal Yacht Britannia: Naval Historical Review". www.navyhistory.org.au..

[1] "Flag Officer Royal Yachts , vol 236 cc171-2W". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard, 25 January 1994. 25 January 1994. Retrieved 14 February 2018.

[2] Davies, Caroline (4 September 2015). "From tartan to tippling: A to Z of things two queens have in common". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2018.

[3] Barker, Matthew Henry (1844). The old sailor's jolly boat, steered by M.H. Barker. Nottingham and Leicester: Allen and Allen. p. 347.

[4] "The Royal Yacht Britannia: Naval Historical Review". www.navyhistory.org.au. Naval History Society, June 1983. Retrieved 14 February 2018.

[5] "Flag Officer Royal Yachts , vol 236 cc171-2W". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard, 25 January 1994. 25 January 1994. Retrieved 14 February 2018.

[6] Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie, p.100, February 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2017.