Royal Colonel is an appointment made by the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, to members of the British Royal Family who are appointed to the position of Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment within the British or Commonwealth army. Royal Colonel appointments are made for regiments and military units of the British Army. Similar roles exist in honorary Air Commodores-in-Chief and Air Commodores for the Royal Air Force, and honorary Commodore-in-Chief for the Royal Navy.
These appointments are honorary and do not confer rank or uniform upon the recipient. They are a ceremonial appointment designed to further strengthen the bond between the British Army and the Royal Family.
The appointment of Royal Colonels is made by the Queen and is announced in a press release issued by the Palace Press Secretary.
Following the reorganisation of regiments in 2006 the following appointments were made:
HM The Queen
The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)
The Royal Welsh
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Rifles
The Grenadier Guards
HRH The Prince of Wales
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland
51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (TA)
The Mercian Regiment
The Welsh Guards
HRH The Duke of Cambridge
The Irish Guards
HRH The Duke of York
The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Yorkshire Regiment
HRH The Earl of Wessex
2nd Battalion The Rifles
HRH The Princess Royal
The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (TA)
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)
HRH The Duke of Gloucester
The Royal Anglian Regiment
6th Battalion The Rifles (TA)
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
7th Battalion The Rifles (TA)
HRH The Duke of Kent
1st Battalion The Rifles
The Scots Guards
HRH Princess Alexandra
3rd Battalion The Rifles
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
4th Battalion The Rifles
HRH The Countess of Wessex
5th Battalion The Rifles
