The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy officer who advises the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff on naval officer appointing (and General Officers).

Their counterpart in the British Army is the Military Secretary. The Royal Air Force equivalent is the Air Secretary. The Director People and Training has taken over the role, combining the responsibilities of Flag Officer Sea Training.

History The Office of the Naval Secretary was originally established in 1800 when the appointment was styled Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty and remained so styled until 1911. In 1912 it was re-titled Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty.

When the Admiralty department was abolished in 1964 the post was renamed Naval Secretary, colloquially known as "NAVSEC", and now advising the Royal Navy's military head and, consequently, the Navy Board on future appointments. In the case of tri-service appointments, the responsibility was to recommend candidates to the Defence Board.

From 2010 to 2015, Sir David Steel, as Naval Secretary, simultaneously held the additional title of Chief Naval Logistics Officer (as head the Naval Logistics Branch). In 2015 further additional responsibilities were assumed for the Royal Naval Reserve and the title of Flag Officer, Maritime Reserves.

In this capacity the incumbent is responsible for advising the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff on all matters relating to Flag Officers’ appointing, with Officers with the rank of Commodore and/or Captain delegated to the Office of Assistant to the Naval Secretary who currently holds the rank of Commodore. A March 2020 edition of Navy News noted that the Director People and Training took over the people-related policies and career management below this level from the Naval Secretary.

In May 2021, it was announced that Jude Terry would be the next Naval Secretary, being promoted to rear admiral and taking up the post in 2022. She is the first woman to serve as an admiral in the Royal Navy.

Secretaries Post holders included:Senior Royal Navy Appointments

Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty 1800 – 1801 John Harrison 1801 – 1802 Benjamin Tucker 1802 – 1804 George Parker 1804 – 1805 William Budge 1805 – 1806 John Deas Thomson 1806 – 1807 Henry Grant 1807 – 1808 Edward Golding 1808 – 1809 Captain Robert Moorsom 1809 – 1810 Captain Lord Edward O'Brien 1810 – 1812 Captain Frederick Edgcumbe 1812 – 1823 Captain Robert William Hay 1823 – 1827 Captain George Baillie Hamilton 1827 – 1828 Captain Robert Cavendish Spencer 1828 – 1830 Captain Richard Saunders Dundas 1830 – Captain John Thomas Briggs 1830 – 1831 Captain Edward Stewart 1831 – 1834 Major George Graham (RM) 1834 Captain George Gipps 1834 – Captain John George Cole 1835 – Captain George Gipps 1835 – Captain Frederick William Grey 1835 – 1839 Captain Henry Tufnell 1839 – 1841 William Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, Viscount Melgund (acting) 1841 – 1845 Captain William Baillie-Hamilton 1845 – 1846 Captain Richard Saunders Dundas 1846 – Captain Henry Spencer Law 1846 – 1848 Captain Henry Eden 1848 – 1852 Captain Charles Eden 1852 – 1853 Captain Frederick Thomas Pelham 1853 – 1855 Captain Henry Higgins Donatus O'Brien 1855 – 1857 Captain Thomas George Baring 1857 – 1858 Captain James Robert Drummond 1858 – 1859 Captain Herbert Harley Murray 1859 – 1862 Captain John Moore 1862 – 1863 Captain Alfred Phillips Ryder 1863 – 1866 Captain Robert Hall 1866 – Captain Frederick Archibald Campbell 1866 – 1867 Captain John Slaney Pakington 1867 – 1868 Captain Thomas Brandreth 1868 – 1870 Captain Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour 1870 – 1871 Captain Chandos S. Scudamore Stanhope 1871 – 1873 Captain George Tryon 1874 – 1876 Captain Michael Culme-Seymour 1876 – 1881 Captain William Codrington 1881 – 1883 Captain John O. Hopkins 1883 – 1885 Captain Lewis A. Beaumont 1885 – 1888 Rear-Admiral Lord Walter Kerr 1889 – 1892 Rear-Admiral Alfred T. Dale 1892 – 1894 Captain Richard H. Hamond 1894 – 1897 Captain Hedworth Lambton 1897 – 1899 Captain Wilmot Fawkes 1899 – 1900 Captain Maurice Bourke 1900 – 1902 Captain Wilmot Fawkes 1902 – 1905 Captain Hugh Tyrwhitt 1905 – 1908 Captain Hugh Evan-Thomas 1908 – 1910 Captain Charles Madden

Naval Secretaries to the First Lord of the Admiralty Post holders included 1911 – 1912 Rear-Admiral Ernest Troubridge 1912 – 1913 Rear-Admiral David Beatty 1913 – 1914 Rear-Admiral Dudley de Chair Aug – Oct 1914 Rear-Admiral Horace Hood Oct – Nov 1914 Rear-Admiral Henry Oliver 1914 – 1916 Commodore Charles de Bartolomé 1916 – 1918 Rear-Admiral Allan Everett 1918 – 1921 Rear-Admiral Sir Rudolph Bentinck 1921 – 1923 Rear-Admiral Hugh Watson 1923 – 1925 Vice-Admiral Michael Hodges Apr 1925 Vice-Admiral Sir Hubert Brand 1925 – 1927 Rear-Admiral Frank Larken 1927 – 1929 Rear-Admiral Eric Fullerton 1929 – 1932 Rear-Admiral George Chetwode 1932 – 1934 Rear-Admiral Sidney Meyrick 1934 – 1937 Rear-Admiral Guy Royle 1937 – 1939 Rear-Admiral William Whitworth May – Nov 1939 Rear-Admiral Stuart Bonham Carter 1939 – 1941 Rear-Admiral Edward Syfret 1941 – 1942 Rear-Admiral Arthur Peters 1942 – 1944 Rear-Admiral Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton 1944 – 1945 Rear-Admiral Cecil Harcourt 1945 – 1946 Rear-Admiral Claud Barry 1948 – 1948 Rear-Admiral Maurice Mansergh 1948 – 1950 Rear-Admiral Peveril William-Powlett 1950 – 1952 Rear-Admiral William Davis 1952 – 1954 Rear-Admiral Richard Onslow 1954 – 1956 Rear-Admiral David Luce 1956 – 1958 Rear-Admiral Alastair Ewing 1958 – 1960 Rear-Admiral John Hamilton 1960 – 1962 Rear-Admiral Frank Twiss

Naval Secretaries Post holders included 1962 – 1964 Rear-Admiral John Hayes 1964 – 1966 Rear-Admiral William O'Brien Jan – Mar 1966 Rear-Admiral Anthony Griffin 1966 – 1967 Rear-Admiral Gervaise Cooke 1967 – 1970 Rear-Admiral David Dunbar-Nasmith 1970 – 1972 Rear-Admiral Iwan Raikes 1972 – 1974 Rear-Admiral Gordon Tait 1974 – 1976 Rear-Admiral John Forbes 1976 – 1978 Rear-Admiral Peter Buchanan 1978 – 1980 Rear-Admiral Paul Greening 1980 – 1983 Rear-Admiral Richard Fitch 1983 – 1985 Rear-Admiral Richard Thomas 1985 – 1987 Rear-Admiral Roger Dimmock 1987 – 1988 Rear-Admiral Norman King 1988 – 1990 Rear-Admiral David Dobson 1990 – 1992 Rear-Admiral Christopher Morgan 1992 – 1994 Rear-Admiral Malcolm Rutherford 1994 – 1996 Rear-Admiral Alan West 1996 – 1998 Rear-Admiral Fabian Malbon 1998 – 2002 Rear-Admiral Jeremy de Halpert 2002 – 2004 Rear-Admiral Mark Kerr 2004 – 2005 Rear-Admiral Peter Wilkinson 2005 – 2007 Rear-Admiral Richard Ibbotson 2007 – 2010 Rear-Admiral Charles Montgomery 2010 – 2012 Rear-Admiral David Steel 2012 – 2015 Vice-Admiral Jonathan Woodcock 2015 – 2018 Rear-Admiral Simon Williams, also Flag Officer Maritime Reserves 2018 – 2020 Rear-Admiral Michael Bath 2020 – 2022 Rear-Admiral Philip Hally 2022 – 2026 Rear-Admiral Jude Terry 2026 – present Rear-Admiral Andrew Rose

References

Further reading 'Private Secretary to First Lord and Lord High Admiral 1800–70', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660–1870, ed. J C Sainty (London, 1975), pp. 65–66. British History Online [accessed 29 January 2017]. Hamilton, C. I. (2003). "Expanding Naval Powers: Admiralty Private Secretaries and Private Offices, 1800–1945". War in History 10 (2): pp. 125–156. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1929). The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. Its Work and Development. B.R. 1845 (late C.B. 3013). Copy at The National Archives. ADM 234/434. Sainty, J. C. (1975). Admiralty Officials, 1660–1870. London: The Athlone Press. .