Naval Secretary

Office of the Naval Secretary
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Incumbent Rear-Admiral Simon Williams since March, 2015
Ministry of Defence
Nominator	Secretary of State for Defence
Appointer	Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–3 years)
Inaugural holder	Captain John Harrison
Formation	1800
Website	royalnavy.mod.uk

The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the RN. It is a senior RN appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of Rear-Admiral. The Naval Secretary's counterpart in the British Army is the Military Secretary. The Royal Air Force equivalent is the Air Secretary.

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. The post-holder assisted the political head of the Navy on senior appointments. When the Admiralty department was abolished in 1964 the post was renamed Naval Secretary. From 2010 the title is held simultaneously with post of the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Personnel) and is styled Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Personnel) and Naval Secretary.

Private Naval Secretaries to the First Lord of the Admiralty included:

Naval Secretaries to the First Lord of the Admiralty

Naval Secretaries