Royal Navy. Royal Airforce. British Army. Why isn’t it called the Royal Army, given that other branches of the military seem to have no trouble with it? Heck, even the Navy’s warfare unit is called the Royal Marines.

So why isn’t it called the Royal Army?

It starts with how the different branches are structured. The British Army is basically the umbrella under which many other regiments and corps come together. The same cannot be said for the Air Force or the Navy, both of which are complete operations on their own.

Each unit is documented in the Corps Warrant, which is an official and legal recognition of the different corps and regiments that populate the underside of the British Army umbrella.

What the word entails

Of course, not all regiments and corps that are part of the British Army get to affix “Royal“ to their monikers. It’s a matter of battle honour, in a manner of speaking, and is seen as something that sets them apart. Their dedication and fighting in honour of the crown got them an honour of their own.

That’s not to say that the regiments that do not use the prefix are any less valiant and brave than the others. If anything, the East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) famously doesn’t use it at all because it chooses to retain its facings.

Doesn’t matter what name they choose, we’d support our soldiers no matter what!

A little bit of history

As an institution, the Navy has always been under national command, unlike the armed forces that a good-jump-into-history ago could be commanded and developed by different nobles. Their chain of command did not begin with the royals.

There you have it! Next time someone says, “Why isn’t it called the Royal Army?”, you can show off how well you know the British military. Now please don’t ask us why it isn’t called the Royal Military.

Did you already know why the British Army is not called the Royal Army? Talk to us in the comments sections below.