Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the insignia associated with her role as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Observer Corps.
Air Commodore-in-Chief is a senior honorary air force appointment which originated in the Royal Air Force and now exists in the air forces of various Commonwealth realms. Appointees are made Air Commodore-in-Chief of a large air force organisation or formation. Initially only the British monarch held air commodore-in-chief appointments. However, since the second half of the 20th century, other members of the royal family have been appointed to such positions in the United Kingdom and the other realms such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Air commodore-in-chief appointments do not confer a rank, be it air commodore or otherwise. Air commodore-in-chief appointments are more senior than honorary air commodore appointments. The equivalent naval title of Commodore-in-Chief was introduced in 2006.
Air commodores-in-chief[]
Prince Edward, Prince of Wales[]
Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), held the following appointments:
United Kingdom
1932 –1936 : Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Auxiliary Air Force[1]
King George VI[]
King George VI held the following appointments:
United Kingdom
- 1941 – 1952: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps[2][3]
- 1947 – 1952: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force Regiment[4]
- 1950 – 1952: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Observer Corps[5]
- – 1952: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force[2]
Queen Elizabeth II[]
Queen Elizabeth II held or holds the following appointments:
- Australia
- 1954 – : Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Australian Citizen Air Force[6]
- Canada
- 1953 – 1968: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Force Auxiliary[7]
- New Zealand
- 1953 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Territorial Air Force of New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- 1952 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force[8]
- 1953 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force Regiment
- 1953 – 1996: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Observer Corps
Prince Philip[]
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, holds the following appointments:
- / Canada
- / 1953 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets[7]
- United Kingdom
- 1953 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps
Prince Charles[]
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, holds the following appointments:
- Canada
- 1977 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Reserve Group of Air Command (since 2011 the Royal Canadian Air Force Air Reserve)
- New Zealand
- 1977 –: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force[9]
References[]
- ↑ "No. 33831". 31 May 1932. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33831/page/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%201255.html
- ↑ http://www.aircadets.org/acohist.html
- ↑ "No. 38077". 19 September 1947. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38077/page/
- ↑ "No. 40140". 11 April 1950. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40140/page/
- ↑ "No. 40140". 6 April 1954. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40140/page/
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "No. 39864". 26 May 1953. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39864/supplement/
- ↑ http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%200419.html
- ↑ http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/personalprofiles/theprinceofwales/atwork/supportingthequeen/specialrelationshipsandregiments/
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