The rank insignia of a Netherlands Admiral
- Please see "Admiral" for other nations which use this rank
Admiral (admiraal) is theoretically the highest possible military rank in the Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine), which is comparable to the five-star rank of Fleet Admiral in other navies like the US Navy. The rank of Admiral is still described in the military protocols of the Dutch navy, but at present it is not used as an active rank.
The rank can be held by either a Naval officer appointed by the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands or a member of the Dutch royal family. The royal connection to the rank of Admiral possibly originated in 1830 when King William I promoted his son Prince Frederick (who was already the Secretary of State for War and Navy) to the rank of Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The next and till today last person promoted to the rank of Admiral was Prince Hendrik, the youngest brother of King William III, who made his brother Admiral in 1879 to honor him for his long and exceptional career in the Navy.
The seniority of all Netherlands Admiral ranks is as follows:
- Admiraal (Admiral)
- Luitenant-admiraal (Lieutenant Admiral)
- Vice-admiraal (Vice Admiral)
- Schout-bij-nacht (Rear Admiral)
- Commandeur (Commodore)
The original article can be found at Admiral (Netherlands) and the edit history here.