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Fun question

makes me wonder about his pension. He was an Admiral, Field Marshal and Air Marshal. Did he earn three salaries and hence three pensions ?

Anne’s bloke, Timothy whatever, he made Vice Admiral as an actual job. Sure, pushed more than a bit but still. So, full pay and pension.

Philip definitely did enough years active service to get some pension, possibly a gratuity back then, possibly an actual pension.

But those Royal ranks, hmm, well?

Not sure:

The Duke of York has asked to defer an honorary Navy promotion he was due to receive when he turned 60, Buckingham Palace has said.

Prince Andrew was set to be promoted to Admiral on 19 February, in line with a policy that sees senior royals treated as serving military members.

But the palace said he had asked the Ministry of Defence to defer it until a time when he returns to public duty.

Does he get paid/pensioned as an Admiral? Or only the rank he achieved properly? Umm, Lt. Commander wasn’t he?

Re pensions Philip is probably easier as Admiral of the Fleet, not mere Admiral – alongside Field Marshal. And there are no pensions there, it’s half pay for life. I think.

I would venture a very assured guess that it won’t be three of those half pays.

But do the Royal ranks come with pay or not? Dunno – Jason Lynch might tho’……

4 thoughts on “Fun question”

  1. I believe – could be wrong – that there’s a distinction between substantive and honorary rank. Substantive is time served, actual command rank, paid and pensionable: for example, my mighty two stripes as a Lt(RNR).

    Phil would have had any pension he’d earned from his regular service (probably with some squabbles over when his end-of-service date was) but unlikely to be getting salary or pension for his assorted honorary ranks (of which there were quite a lot, when you see how many foreign ranks he also held).

    Ditto Andy – with twenty-odd years’ service he’d get the appropriate pension for that as a Commander (his final rank) – he only got a honorary fourth stripe, not a substantive one, on retirement.

    Honorary rank, is unpaid and unpensioned. For an RNR example, Dan Snow is a honorary Commander(RNR), which means he can wear #1 dress with more gold than me for ceremonial and public events; but I don’t think he gets paid for it, certainly doesn’t get a pension for it (if he did, it would be like ours, only earned on days served) and in practical terms, doesn’t hold command authority (so can’t claim to outrank me or issue me binding orders). It’s a publicity/engagement role – you don’t get paid (might be able to claim expenses) and don’t even get a uniform upkeep grant according to BR3.

    Noting from the Navy Directory that on the list of honorary Admirals are the King of Sweden and the Sultan of Brunei, and the King of Norway is a honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines, they’re probably not so short of a few bob that they’d be demanding salary, pension and paid leave…

  2. Isn’t that whole guff for “normal people”?

    I’d think that his allowance (and position in the pecking order) as Prince-Consort would trump all of those.. And given his obvious attitude to Matters.. Wouldn’t surpise me if he simply waived those pension rights/parked the money somewhere he thought useful.
    No doubt there’s an actual accountant ( defs not the Spud..) who would know this, but I expect him/her to have a sudden attack of Blonde Senility when asked. Because, well… Prince-Consort to the Queen and all that…

  3. dcarno.. that is implied..

    but then again.. as far as the UK royals v/s UK tabloids are concerned…
    Umm red-hot pokers if you blab? On a good day?

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