The Queen: All of her military titles
Queen Elizabeth II's relationship with the Armed Forces was close and personal.
As Sovereign, she was Head of the Armed Forces and held many honorary ranks and military appointments.
Her Majesty served during the Second World War and was the first female member of the Royal Family to become a full-time member of the Armed Service.
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As a princess, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945 and trained as a mechanic, driving and fixing military vehicles.
Princess Elizabeth was just 19 when she enlisted. After completing training, she held the rank of Second Subaltern. Five months into her service she was promoted to Junior Commander, which was the equivalent of Captain.
Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen has supported the Armed Forces and their families through being a patron of numerous military charities and regular visits to service establishments and ships.
In 2009, the Queen introduced the Elizabeth Cross – the first and only medal to which the monarch gave her name.
The medal bestows a special honour on the families of those who lost their lives due to terrorism or during a military operation.
Queen Elizabeth's children and grandchildren have served in all three branches of the Armed Forces.
Here is a list of the Queen's military titles:
United Kingdom
603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The 603 Squadron provides trained RAF Regiment and RAF Police personnel to augment RAF Force Protection units worldwide. It is one of the Royal Air Force Operational Support Squadrons.
Region: Scotland
Title: Royal Honorary Air Commodore
Adjutant General's Corps
The AGC is one of the largest Corps in the British Army and provides support in administration, policing, education and law.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (formerly Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
A rifle company of The Royal Regiment of Scotland
Region: Scotland
Title: Royal Colonel
Coldstream Guards
The oldest continuously serving regiment in the British Army. An infantry unit that performs high-profile ceremonial duties.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Corps of Royal Engineers
In 2016 the Corps celebrates 300 years of successful military engineering around the world.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Grenadier Guards
One of the most senior infantry regiments in the British Army. The Grenadier Guard's uniforms are famous worldwide for their bearskin hats and bright red tunics, which they wear to guard the Royal Palaces.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Irish Guards
Infantry regiment of the Foot Guards of the British Army, that has the privilege of guarding the Royal Family.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Royal Air Force College, Cranwell
Training college in Lincolnshire for the Royal Air Force.
Region: England
Title: Commandant-in-Chief
Royal Air Force Marham
RAF base near King's Lynn in Norfolk.
Region: England
Title: Royal Honorary Air Commodore
Royal Air Force Regiment
Specialist ground-fighting regiment within the RAF that focuses on soldiering tasks.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Air Commodore-in-Chief
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Chaplains who support British Army personnel spiritually and morally regardless of religious belief.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Patron
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Reserve branch of the Royal Air Force.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Air Commodore-in-Chief
Royal Regiment of Artillery
Fire-power corps of the British Army.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Captain General
Scots Guards
One of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army, tracing its history back to 1642.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)
The second-most senior regiment in the British Army. It is part of the Household Cavalry.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Welsh Guards
Wales' Senior Infantry Regiment and part of the Guards Division.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
Infantry regiment of the Northwest of England.
Region: UK (England)
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Honourable Artillery Company
The oldest regiment in the British Army that has transformed to meet the demands of modern warfare. The unit provides intelligence for the deep strike systems and collects target information.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Captain General
The Life Guards
Along with the Blues and Royals, the Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and part of the Household Cavalry.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Queen's Gurkha Engineers
Engineering unit of the British Army with personnel recruited from Nepal.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Affiliated Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own)
A cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 2015 by an amalgamation of 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers.
Region: Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal Regiment of Scotland The senior line infantry regiment and only Scottish line infantry of the British Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys)
A light cavalry regiment and a senior Scottish regiment in the British Army.
Region: UK (Scotland)
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal Tank Regiment
Formed in 1916 during the First World War, the Royal Tank Regiment is the oldest tank unit in the world.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal Welsh
An infantry regiment of the British Army that draws its recruits primarily from Wales.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Combined Cadet Force
A youth organisation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence that provides military-inspired personal development courses to school-aged children.
Region: UK-wide
Title: Captain General
Watch: The Queen explains the symbolism of the Elizabeth Cross.
Canada
48th Highlanders of Canada
Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Air Reserve of Canada
Canadian Airforce volunteer unit.
Title: Air Commodore-in-Chief
Canadian Forces Military Engineering Branch
Established in 1903, the official role of the Engineering Branch is to allow friendly troops to live, move and fight on the battlefield and deny that to the enemy.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering
Engineering school of the Canadian Armed Services.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Le Regiment de la Chaudiere
Reserve infantry unit in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Le Royal 22e Regiment
An infantry regiment of the Canadian Army comprised of three regular and two reserve battalions.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)
The Primary Reserve Highland infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Calgary Highlanders
Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Governor General's Foot Guards
Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Governor General's Horse Guards (of Canada)
The senior reserve armoured regiment in the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The King's Own Calgary Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps / RCAC)
Reserve reconnaissance unit in the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment
Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal New Brunswick Regiment
Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, holding 65 battle honours.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
The artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army.
Title: Captain General
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
A Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Australia
Royal Australian Air Force Reserve
Reserve branch of the Royal Australian Air Force.
Title: Air Commodore-in-Chief
Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
The nursing services of the Australian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps
Unit of the Australian Army that deals with the disposal of explosives and the salvaging of damaged equipment.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Royal Australian Engineers
Unit providing construction and engineering services to the Australian Army. They are ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Royal Australian Infantry Corps
The Royal Australian Infantry Corps oversees all infantry regiments of the Australian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
Regiment responsible for firepower, surveillance and ground-based air defence of Australia.
Title: Captain General
The Canadian Armed Forces Legal Branch
Unified branch of the Canadian Armed Forces with members wearing the uniforms of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. The branch provides legal support and military court reporters.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
The Canadian Grenadier Guards
Light infantry reserve unit of the Canadian Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps
The Armoured Corps groups together the Regular Force and Territorial Force and is second in seniority of the New Zealand Army.
Title: Captain General
Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
The main combat unit of the New Zealand Army.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
An offshoot of the British Army's Royal Artillery, founded in 1902, which provides administrative services and can comprise multiple component regiments.
Title: Captain General
Territorial Air Force of New Zealand
Reserve air force for New Zealand.
Title: Air Commodore-in-Chief
The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers
The New Zealand Sappers provide engineering military services within the Pacific region.
Title: Colonel-in-Chief
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