Third Sea Lord
| Office of the Controller of the Navy (CofN) | |
|---|---|
Ensign of the Royal Navy
|
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| Department of the Admiralty, Ministry of Defence | |
| Member of | Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Board, Navy Board |
| Reports to | First Sea Lord |
| Nominator | First Lord of the Admiralty, 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 | Vice-Admiral, |
| Formation | 1561-current |
The post of Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy originally known as Comptroller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy. The title of the office is now known as Controller of the Navy (abbreviated as CofN), and the Controller of the Navy is a member of the Admiralty Board.
The office of Comptroller of the Navy was originally established in 1561 during the reign of Elizabeth I of England until 1832. In (1805), for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents.
In the reorganisation of the Admiralty by Order in Council of 14 January 1869, the Comptroller of the Navy was given a seat on the Board of Admiralty as the Third Naval Lord and Comptroller of the Navy. The Comptroller lost the title of Third Naval Lord and the seat on the Board by an Order in Council of 19 March 1872, but regained them by a further Order of 10 March 1882.
In 1869, the post of Storekeeper-General of the Navy was abolished and its duties merged into those of the Comptroller of the Navy. The Third Naval Lord became known as the Third Sea Lord from 1905.
The appointment of Controller of the Navy was abolished in September 1912, although that of Third Sea Lord remained. In 1917 the post of Controller of the Navy was revived, but as a separate civilian position with a seat on the Board of Admiralty. In 1918, the post of Controller of the Navy was once again amalgamated with that of Third Sea Lord and in 1965 the post became simply Controller of the Navy.
In 1832 the post of Controller of the Navy was abolished.
In 1859 the post of Surveyor of the Navy was changed to Controller of the Navy.
Third Naval Lords and Controllers of the Navy include:
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