First Sea Lord

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope joined the Royal Navy in 1970 and became First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in July 2009.

During the Cold War he commanded the conventional submarine HMS Orpheus and the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Splendid.

He taught prospective submarine commanding officers on the “Perisher” course and commanded the Submarine Sea Training Organisation.

A move to the surface Flotilla in 1991, in command of HMS London, included the first UK warship visit to Northern Russia in nearly 50 years and patrols in the Caribbean and Arabian Gulf. His final sea command was the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.

In between sea appointments he has worked in the Ministry of Defence for the Naval Staff and as a personal staff officer to the Chief of Defence staff. In 2002 he had a short secondment to the Cabinet Office. His initial NATO assignment was in the Regional Headquarters of Allied Forces North. Following this he served as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet before returning to NATO, this time in Norfolk, Virginia, USA as the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

As Commander-in-Chief Fleet he exercised full command over all deployable Fleet units whilst also holding the post of Allied Maritime Component Commander at Northwood.

As a junior officer Admiral Stanhope read Physics at Oxford. He conducted formal staff training at Greenwich, attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1997 and Higher Command and Staff Course in 1998. Awarded the OBE in 1990, he was knighted in 2004 and is a recipient of the US Legion of Merit (Officer). A Freeman of the City of London and the Guild of Freemen, he is a Younger Brother of Trinity House, a Fellow of the Nautical Institute, a Liveryman of the Upholders Company and an Honorary Fellow of St Peter’s College Oxford.