Queen Gives Duke of Edinburgh Navy Title For His 90th birthday
82The Queen has given the Duke of Edinburgh the title and office of Lord High Admiral to mark his 90th birthday. The office of the Lord High Admiral dates from the 14th century, when the English Navy consolidated into one force. Originally responsible for aspects of Navy policy, the position of Lord High Admiral was held on commission by various peers of the realm. By 1628, following the death of the Duke of Buckingham, the position became entirely honorary with the duties of running the Navy delegated to a Board of Commissioners. Control of the Navy was passed to and from the Board and the Lord High Admiral until 1709 when the powers of the Lord High Admiral were finally vested in the Board. For a short time, in the 17th century, the office of Lord High Admiral was held by reigning Monarchs King Charles II, King James II and at the beginning of the 18th century by Queen Anne (although on this occasion only for a month). The Duke of Edinburgh has a strong involvement with the Navy, having enrolled at Dartmouth Naval College at the age of 18. During World War Two he served with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets, and reached the rank of Commander, before retiring from active service. Although he gave up his active naval career some time ago, he has remained closely connected to, and actively interested in, every branch of service life. In 1952, he was appointed Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Cadet Force and Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps. The following year he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet and appointed Captain General in the Royal Marines. This gift to The Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of His 90th Birthday keeps alive the tradition of the Monarch investing the office as an honour. The official ceremony will take place at a later date. Today his birthday was also marked by a 62-gun salute at Gun Wharf at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, the City of London's Territorial Army regiment. This evening, in his capacity as Senior Colonel, Household Division, the Duke will chair the Senior Colonels' Conference at the palace and afterwards hold a dinner. At some point during the day it is expected the Duke will mark his birthday privately. The formal celebration of the milestone will be held on Sunday when members of the Royal Family will attend a service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, followed by a reception. In a BBC interview last Thursday night the Duke spoke about what the future holds for him and confirmed he is reducing his workload before he reaches his "sell-by date". He said: "I reckon I've done my bit, I want to enjoy myself for a bit now. With less responsibility, less rushing about, less preparation, less trying to think of something to say. "On top of that your memory's going, I can't remember names. Yes, I'm just sort of winding down."