Personal aide-de-camp

The practice of appointing family members as Personal Aides-de-Camp was begun by Queen Victoria.[2]

The emblem of the office is the royal cypher and crown (of the monarch who appointed the officer), which is worn on the uniform shoulder straps; and No. 1 gold aiguillettes, which are worn on the right shoulder. (The aiguillettes of Personal Aides-de-Camp are distinguished from those of other Aides-de-Camp by the addition of the royal cypher and crown to each tag).[4]

Those in the Royal Family who currently hold the appointment are:

Rank	Name and Date of Appointment	Military branch Years served
Appointed by King George VI
Admiral of the Fleet Field Marshal Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (10 June 1948-Present)[5]	Royal Navy 1939–1952
Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II
Field Marshal Air Chief Marshal	Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1 August 1966-Present) [6]	British Army 1955–1976
Admiral of the Fleet Field Marshal Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (6 December 1973-Present)[7]	Royal Navy 1971–1977  Royal Air Force 1971–1977
Captain (retired)	Mark Phillips (1 February 1974-Present)	British Army 1969–1978
Vice Admiral	Prince Andrew, Duke of York (1 February 1984-Present)	Royal Navy 1978–2001[8]
Honorary Air Commodore	Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1 August 2004-Present)
Vice Admiral	Sir Timothy Laurence (1 August 2004-Present)	Royal Navy 1973–2011
Squadron Leader Major Lieutenant Commander	Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (17 March 2013-Present)[9]	British Army 2006–2009  Royal Air Force 2009–2013
Major Squadron Leader Lieutenant Commander	Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (13 October 2018-Present)[10]	British Army 2005–2015

There are other categories of aides-de-camp to the Queen; most are serving military, naval, and air officers, usually of colonel or brigadier rank or equivalent. There are also specific posts for very senior officers, such as First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp, Flag Aide-de-Camp, Aide-de-Camp General, and Air Aide-de-Camp each with its own specific entitlement to post-nominal letters.

Those in the Royal Family who previously held the appointment are:

Rank	Name and Date of Appointment	Military branch Years served
Appointed by Queen Victoria
Field Marshal	Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (26 May 1876-16 January 1942)	British Army 1868–1942
Admiral of the Fleet	Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (9 December 1882-30 July 1900)	Royal Navy August 1858–30 July 1900[11]
Major Captain	Duke of Clarence and Avondale (21 June 1887-14 January 1892)[12]
Field Marshal Admiral of the Fleet	Prince George of Wales (21 June 1887-6 May 1910)	Royal Navy[13]
Field Marshal	Duke of Cambridge (1 November 1895-17 March 1904)	British Army 3 November 1837–17 March 1904[14]
Admiral of the Fleet	Prince Louis of Battenberg (1 January 1897-11 September 1921)	Royal Navy 1868–1914[15]
General	Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (14 March 1898-28 October 1917)	British Army July 1866–28 October 1917[16]
Appointed by King Edward VII
Major General	Prince Arthur of Connaught (30 June 1905-12 September 1938)	British Army 1901–1922[17]
Lieutenant Colonel	Marquess of Cambridge (1910-24 October 1927)	British Army 1888–1919
Appointed by King George V
Admiral General Air Chief Marshal	Duke of York (3 June 1919-11 December 1936)	Royal Navy  Royal Air Force 1913–1919[18]
Admiral of the Fleet Field Marshal Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Prince of Wales (3 June 1919-20 January 1936) Duke of Windsor (11 December 1936-28 May 1972)	Royal Navy  British Army 1910–1919[19]
Major General	Earl of Athlone (3 June 1910-16 January 1957)	British Army 1894–1931[20]
Field Marshal Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Duke of Gloucester (2 August 1929-10 June 1974)	British Army 1919–1937[21]
Appointed by King Edward VIII
Admiral of the Fleet	Lord Mountbatten of Burma (23 June 1936-27 August 1979)	Royal Navy 1916–1965
Rear Admiral Major General Air Commodore	Duke of Kent (23 June 1936-25 August 1942)	Royal Navy  Royal Air Force 1916–1942[22]
Appointed by King George VI
Colonel	Earl of Harewood (1 February 1937-24 May 1947)	British Army 12 February 1902–24 May 1947[23]

• Equerry
• Aide-de-camp