The Defence Council of the United Kingdom is the highest formal governing body of the British Armed Forces. The Defence Council is delegated the responsibility and powers over "command and administrat
A sign erected under the auspices of the Defence Council
Head of the Armed Forces
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Head of the Armed Forces is the position of the sovereign of the United Kingdom as commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. Supreme military authority is vested in the monarch and extends to th
Defence Council of the United Kingdom
…The Defence Council is delegated the responsibility and powers over "command and administration" of the armed forces by the Crown in their capacity as Head of the Armed Forces. It was established by the "Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964," which established the Defence Council and transferred to it the responsibilities…
Charles III Salute 2024
Elizabeth II in military uniform
George II at the Battle of Dettingen oil-on-canvas, by John Wootton. King George II at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 remains the last time a British monarch personally led his troops into battle.
King George V inspecting the 29th Division, British Army, prior to the division's departure for Gallipoli in 1915. The division commander, Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston, rides alongside the King at the right of the photo.