Admiral of the Realm

Admiral of the Realm was a military and political title given to nobles in Denmark-Norway (Danish: Rigsadmiral), Sweden (Swedish: Riksamiral) and Holy Roman Empire (German: Reichsadmiral).

Denmark-Norway and Sweden

Almost at the same time in the 1570s, both Sweden and in Denmark-Norway created the Admiral of the Realm, and almost simultaneously it was abolished in both kingdoms in the 1670s again. In both kingdoms the Admiral of the Realm was Supreme Commander of all naval forces and chairman of the admiralty. Like the Marshal of the Realm, the Reichsadmiral was also one of the treasures of the country. As a member of the Privy Council, he was comparable to a senior government official, such as a minister of the navy.

Denmark-Norway

Commander-in-chiefs (Danish: øverste kaptajn) of the Danish-Norwegian fleets, appointed by the King, had existed since the beginning of the 16th century. In 1576, Peder Munk was appointed the first time Admiral of the Realm (Danish: Rigsens Admiral, Rigets Admiral or Rigsadmiral) for Denmark-Norway.[1] The position was created to serve as Commander-in-chief of the navy.

List of Danish Admirals of the Realm

  Acting

Portrait Name
(birth–death)		 Term of office Ref.
Appointed Dismissed Time in office
Peder Munk
(1534–1623)		 1576 January 1609 32–33 years [2]
Mogens Ulfeldt
(1569–1616)		 January 1609 15 June 1616 † 7 years, 5 months [3]
Albret Skeel
(1572–1639)		 1 December 1616 1623 6–7 years [4]
Claus Daa
(1579–1641)		 25 July 1630 30 March 1641 † 10 years, 8 months [5]
Jørgen Vind
(1593–1644)		 April 1643 8 July 1644 † 1 year, 3 months [6]
Ove Gjedde
(1594–1660)		 19 March 1645 19 December 1660 † 15 years, 9 months [1][7]
Henrik Bielke
(1615–1683)		 December 1660 May 1662 1 year, 5 months [8][9]
May 1662 16 March 1683 † 20 years, 10 months

Sweden
Main article: Lord High Admiral of Sweden

The Swedish Admiral of the Realm (Swedish: Riksamiral) was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from c. 1571 until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Council and the head of the navy and Admiralty of Sweden. From 1634, the Lord High Admiral was one of five Great Officers of the Realm.

See also

References
Citations
  1. Garde 1861, pp. 165, 213.
  2. Garde 1861, pp. 92, 110.
  3. Garde 1861, pp. 110, 133.
  4. Garde 1861, pp. 133–134.
  5. Garde 1861, pp. 134, 165.
  6. Garde 1861, p. 165.
  7. Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935, p. 446.
  8. Garde 1861, pp. 240–241.
  9. Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935, p. 107.
Bibliography
  • Garde, Hans Georg (1861). Den dansk-norske sømagts historie 1535-1700 (in Danish). Copenhagen: B. Lunos bogtrykkeri.
  • Topsøe-Jensen, T.A.; Marquard, Emil, eds. (1935). Officerer i Den dansk-norske Søetat 1660-1814 og Den danske Søetat 1814-1932 (in Danish). Vol. I. Copenhagen: Pedersen & Lefevre.


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