Why is it that you have the royal air force and royal navy and not the royal army?

Question

I just want to know if there is a specific reason.

Answer 1

Because the Army hasn't been granted the Royal Warrant.
The reigning monarch can do this.

Answer 2

During the Civil Oliver Cromwell led the Army against the Monarch and therefore it cannot be Royal. Its all about tradition. If you look at most Re'gt Cap Badges they all have a crown at the top, when the Re'gt/Corps is formed the King/Queen grants it permission to call its self for example Royal Logistic Corps, Royal Electrical & Mecanical Engineers etc etc And plus "Royal British Army" just does not sound right...Did you know the RAF was only ment to last for 100 years

Answer 3

It's tradition damn it!

... and the Black Watch is the nickname for the 42nd Royal Highland Light Infantry formed in 1745 to evict highlanders from their lands after the up rising ... seems Canadians know more about British military history that the British ... Scotland Forever!

But seriously, almost all British Army regiments have the word Royal as part of their official title. There are a few abberations like some of the Highland regiments - a slight against the Scots by british aristocracy - the Guards Regiments, etc.; buy many are know as the Royal ... For example The Royal Fusiliers

Answer 4

I'm sure it has something to do with the English Civil War. There were two sides (King & Cavaliers vs. Cromwell & New Model Army) and on the King's side, there were three armies; King's Army, Queen's Army and I think the Prince of Wales' Army. On Cromwell's side was a single army, the New Model Army, which was a modern, efficient fighting force. Once the war was over, I think the army was prevented from passing over into Royal hands by act of Parliament. Or something :)

Answer 5

There are also the Royal Marines but not sure what the call the British Army or why they're not called the Royal Army?

Answer 6

The British Army does not include "royal" in its title, because of its roots as a collection of disparate units, many of which themselves do bear the "royal" prefix.

They were put together from some units that had no Royal connotation. Because of this, the whole Army could not hold the "Royal" status

Answer 7

It might have something to do with this....i think...well here's a guess

The navy use to be called the navy royal. it was a load of rich people that owned their own ships and work for the crown, they could even wage wars with the crowns approval. Then it got nationalised and called the Royal Navy.

The RAF, was part of the arm, but then was made into its own arm of the UK forces - in something like 1918, so it quite new.

But the arm was made up of loads of privet army's from people that lived on large estates, the lord that owned that estate would raise the arm on behalf of the crown. it never got called the royal army (in the civil war it might have been referred to as the royal army, instead of the royalist army).

But its called the British army, cause it has troops from local regiments (and regions ie Scotlish canon fodder etc) as well as the royal regiments (the crowns privet armies). but it was never nationalised under the banner the royal army but rather the british army.

Answer 8

Historically and for ease of understanding, the British Army of today is made up of two English Armies plus the Scots, Welsh and Irish. The two English Armies are those from the English Civil War period - Cromwell's New Model Army and HM King Charles II Cavaliers.

Regiments in the British Army are usually recruited locally. For example, a Regiment such as [the once] Black Watch, recruited from the lowlands of Scotland and in particular such as Glasgow. Naming such a regiment the Royal Black Watch might simply put people off or confuse them. Even though in its day the Colonel in Chief was the Late Queen Mother.

The foot-guards for example, such as the Grenadiers etc are not referred to as Royal Grenadiers.

I'm sorry this sounds a confusing mess. Put simply its history. Some regiments are Royal while others are not.

The Royal Corps of Signals, my old regiment, started life as simply the Corps of Signals it got Royal sometime in the 1920s or 30s I believe.

The Royal Artillery has always been Royal.

The Royal Horse Artillery is the most senior regiment in the British Army - King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery - created by our late soverign, HM King George VI - God save the king.

Answer 9

because the army is made up of different regiments each has its own royal warrant

ie the the kings own fusilers
the blues and royals

the raf and navy are 1 entity the army is made up from many

Answer 10

as far as I know it is because in the civil war the army went against the crown and so therfore lost there royal status.