Colonel-in-chief

Colonel-in-chief is a ceremonial position in a military regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family.

Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to the position, appointing animals or characters as colonel-in-chief. The Norwegian Army, for example, appointed a penguin named Sir Nils Olav as a colonel-in-chief.

History
Historically a colonel-in-chief was the ceremonial head of a regiment, usually a member of a European country's royal family. The practice extends at least back to 1740 in Prussia when Frederick II held that position (Regimentschef) in the newly created Garde du Corps, an elite heavy cavalry regiment.

By the late 19th century the designation could be given to the children of royalty; there are pictures of the daughters of Russian Czar Nicholas II in the uniforms of their regiments. The German Kaiser Wilhelm II carried the title to an extreme, holding it in dozens of German and (by diplomatic courtesy) Austro-Hungarian (called Inhaber), British, Russian, and Portuguese regiments. His mother, wife, son, and daughters were also full or deputy colonels-in-chief of various units.

Role
In modern usage, the colonel-in-chief of a regiment is its (usually royal) patron, who has a ceremonial role in the life of the regiment. They do not have any operational role, or the right to issue orders, but are kept informed of all important activities of the regiment and pay occasional visits to its units. The chief purpose of the colonel-in-chief is to maintain a direct link between the regiment and the royal family. Some artillery regiments have a captain-general instead of a colonel-in-chief, but the posts are essentially the same.

The position of colonel-in-chief is distinct from the other ceremonial regimental posts of colonel of the regiment and honorary colonel, which are usually retired military officers or public figures with ties to the regiment.

Colonels-in-chief are appointed at the invitation of the regiment. While it is traditional for a royal personage to hold the position, it is at the discretion of each regiment whom they invite.

, most colonels-in-chief in the British Army are members of the British royal family. However, one foreign monarch holds the position:
 * Abdullah II of Jordan - The Light Dragoons

In the past non-royal persons have held, or been invited to hold, the post of colonel-in-chief. The Duke of Wellington was colonel-in-chief of the regiment that bore his name. The Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson was invited to be colonel-in-chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, while the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps decided to ask the Governor-General of Australia to serve as its colonel-in-chief.

The role has spread to other armies in the Commonwealth of Nations, at least in countries which have royal families.

Royal Navy (styled Commodore-in-Chief)

 * Plymouth — The King
 * Aircraft Carriers — The King
 * Royal Navy Medical Service — The Queen
 * Royal Navy Chaplaincy Service — The Queen
 * Scotland — The Prince of Wales
 * Submarines — The Prince of Wales
 * Fleet Air Arm — The Princess of Wales
 * Royal Fleet Auxiliary — The Duke of Edinburgh
 * Portsmouth — The Princess Royal
 * Maritime Reserves — Prince Michael of Kent
 * Small Ships and Diving — vacant
 * Royal Marines — The King (styled Captain General Royal Marines)

Household Cavalry

 * The Life Guards — The King
 * The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) — The King

Line Cavalry

 * 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards — The Princess of Wales
 * The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) — The King
 * The Royal Dragoon Guards — The Duke of Edinburgh
 * The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) — The Duke of Edinburgh
 * The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) — The Queen
 * The King's Royal Hussars — The Princess Royal
 * The Light Dragoons — The King of Jordan

Royal Tank Regiment

 * The Royal Tank Regiment — The King

Yeomanry

 * The Royal Yeomanry — vacant
 * The Royal Wessex Yeomanry — vacant
 * The Queen's Own Yeomanry — vacant
 * The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry — vacant

Foot Guards

 * Grenadier Guards — The King
 * Coldstream Guards — The King
 * Scots Guards — The King
 * Irish Guards — The King
 * Welsh Guards — The King
 * London Guards — vacant

Line Infantry and Rifles

 * The Royal Regiment of Scotland — The King
 * The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) — vacant
 * The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) — The King
 * The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers — The Duke of Kent
 * The Royal Anglian Regiment — The Duke of Gloucester
 * The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) — vacant
 * The Royal Welsh — The King
 * The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) — The Prince of Wales
 * Royal Irish Regiment — The Duchess of Edinburgh
 * The Royal Gurkha Rifles — The King
 * The Rifles — The Queen

Airborne Infantry

 * The Parachute Regiment — The King

Special Operations

 * Ranger Regiment — vacant

Special Forces

 * Special Air Service — vacant
 * Special Reconnaissance Regiment — The Queen

Combat Support and Army Air Corps

 * Army Air Corps — The Prince of Wales
 * Royal Regiment of Artillery — The King (styled Captain-General)
 * Corps of Royal Engineers — The King
 * Royal Corps of Signals — The Princess Royal
 * Intelligence Corps — The Princess Royal
 * Honourable Artillery Company — The King (styled Captain-General)
 * Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) — vacant

Combat Service Support

 * Royal Logistic Corps — The Princess Royal
 * Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers — The Duchess of Edinburgh
 * Adjutant General's Corps — The Duchess of Gloucester
 * Staff and Personnel Support — vacant
 * Educational and Training Services — vacant
 * Army Legal Services — vacant
 * Provost Branch — vacant
 * Royal Military Police — The King
 * Military Provost Staff — vacant
 * Military Provost Guard Service — vacant
 * Royal Corps of Army Music — The Duchess of Edinburgh
 * Royal Army Chaplains' Department — vacant
 * Small Arms School Corps — vacant
 * Royal Army Physical Training Corps — vacant
 * General Service Corps — vacant

Army Medical Services

 * Royal Army Medical Corps — The Duke of Gloucester
 * Royal Army Veterinary Corps — The Princess Royal
 * Royal Army Dental Corps — The Duchess of Gloucester
 * Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps — The Duchess of Edinburgh

Overseas Regiments

 * The Royal Gibraltar Regiment — The Governor of Gibraltar
 * The Royal Bermuda Regiment — The Duchess of Gloucester
 * Royal Montserrat Defence Force — vacant
 * Cayman Islands Regiment — vacant
 * Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment — vacant
 * Falkland Islands Defence Force — vacant

Royal Air Force (styled Honorary Air Commodore)

 * Royal Air Force — The King (styled Air Commodore-in-Chief)
 * RAF Regiment — The King (styled Air Commodore-in-Chief)
 * RAF Regiment — Sir Stephen Dalton
 * Royal Auxiliary Air Force — The Duke of Gloucester (styled Colonel-in-Chief)
 * Royal Air Force Air Cadets — The Princess of Wales (styled Honorary Air Commandant)
 * Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service — Princess Alexandra (styled Air Chief Commandant)
 * RAF Ascension Island — vacant
 * RAF Akrotiri — vacant
 * RAF Benson — Prince Michael of Kent (styled Honorary Air Marshal)
 * RAF Boulmer — vacant
 * RAF Brize Norton — The Princess Royal
 * RAF Coningsby — The Princess of Wales
 * RAF Cosford — vacant
 * RAF Cranwell — vacant
 * RAF Digby — vacant
 * RAF Gibraltar — vacant
 * RAF Halton — The Queen
 * RAF Henlow — vacant
 * RAF High Wycombe — vacant
 * RAF Honington — vacant
 * RAF Leeming — The Queen
 * RAF Lossiemouth — vacant
 * RAF Marham — The King
 * RAF Northolt — vacant
 * RAF Odiham — The Duke of Gloucester
 * RAF Shawbury — vacant
 * RAF Spadeadam — vacant
 * RAF St Mawgan — vacant
 * RAF Syerston — vacant
 * RAF Valley — The Prince of Wales
 * RAF Waddington — The Duke of Edinburgh
 * RAF Wittering — The Duchess of Edinburgh
 * RAF Woodvale — vacant
 * RAF Wyton — vacant
 * University of London Air Squadron — The Princess Royal
 * 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force — The Duke of Gloucester
 * 600 (City of London) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force — The Viscount Trenchard
 * 612 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force — The Lord Glenarthur
 * 4626 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force — The Lord Beaverbrook
 * 7006 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force — Christopher Andrew
 * 7630 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force — Sir David Cousins

Antigua and Barbuda

 * Antigua and Barbuda Regiment — The King

Australia

 * Royal Australian Armoured Corps — The King
 * Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery — The King (styled Captain General)
 * Corps of Royal Australian Engineers — vacant
 * Royal Australian Corps of Signals — The Princess Royal
 * Royal Australian Infantry Corps — vacant
 * Royal Australian Corps of Transport — The Princess Royal
 * Royal Australian Army Medical Corps — The Governor-General of Australia
 * Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps — vacant
 * Corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers — vacant
 * Royal Australian Army Educational Corps — The Duchess of Gloucester
 * Royal Australian Corps of Military Police — The Queen
 * Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps — vacant

Brunei Darussalam

 * Royal Brunei Armed Forces — Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (styled Supreme Commander)

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps

 * Royal Canadian Dragoons — The King
 * Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) — The King
 * 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) — The Princess Royal
 * Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) — The Duke of Edinburgh
 * South Alberta Light Horse — The Duchess of Edinburgh
 * Saskatchewan Dragoons — The Duke of Edinburgh

Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

 * Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry — Adrienne Clarkson
 * Queen's Own Rifles of Canada — The Queen
 * Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada — The King
 * Royal Regiment of Canada — The King
 * Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment — The Duke of Edinburgh
 * Lincoln and Welland Regiment — The Duchess of Edinburgh
 * Grey and Simcoe Foresters — The Princess Royal
 * Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) — The Duke of Kent
 * Royal Winnipeg Rifles — The King
 * Essex and Kent Scottish — Prince Michael of Kent
 * Royal Regina Rifles — The Princess Royal
 * Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) — Princess Alexandra
 * Irish Regiment of Canada — The King
 * Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) — The King
 * Royal Newfoundland Regiment — The Princess Royal

Royal Canadian Engineers

 * 31 Combat Engineer Regiment — The Earl of Elgin

Personnel Branches

 * Communications and Electronics Branch — The Princess Royal
 * Royal Canadian Medical Service — The Princess Royal
 * Royal Canadian Dental Corps — The Duchess of Gloucester

Jamaica

 * Jamaica Regiment — The King

Combat

 * Royal Malay Regiment — His Royal Highness Sultan Sallehuddin of Kedah
 * Royal Ranger Regiment — His Royal Highness Raja Sirajuddin of Perlis
 * Royal Armoured Corps — His Royal Highness Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu
 * Special Operations Regiment — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor, the current King of Malaysia

Combat Support

 * Royal Artillery Regiment and Royal Intelligence Corps — His Royal Highness Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan
 * Royal Regiment of Engineers — His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak
 * Royal Signals Regiment — His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

Service Support

 * Royal Service Corps — His Royal Highness Sultan Sallehuddin of Kedah
 * Royal Ordnance Corps — His Royal Highness Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu
 * Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps — His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

Royal Malaysian Air Force

 * Royal Malaysian Air Force — His Royal Highness Abdullah of Pahang

Royal Malaysian Navy

 * Royal Malaysian Navy — His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin of Selangor (styled Commodore-in-Chief)

New Zealand

 * New Zealand Corps of Officer Cadets — vacant


 * Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery — The King (styled Captain-General)
 * Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps — vacant (styled Captain-General)
 * Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers — vacant
 * Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals — The Princess Royal
 * Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment — vacant
 * New Zealand Special Air Service — vacant
 * New Zealand Intelligence Corps — vacant
 * Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment — vacant
 * Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps — The Duke of Gloucester
 * Royal New Zealand Dental Corps — vacant
 * Royal New Zealand Chaplains Department — vacant
 * New Zealand Army Legal Service — vacant
 * Royal New Zealand Army Educational Corps — The Duchess of Gloucester
 * Corps of Royal New Zealand Military Police — vacant
 * Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps — The Princess Royal
 * New Zealand Army Physical Training Corps — vacant

Norway

 * His Majesty The King's Guard — Sir Nils Olav III

Papua New Guinea

 * Royal Pacific Islands Regiment — The King