The naval members of the Admiralty Board gradually acquired specialized duties rather than beginning with the familiar numbered Sea Lord portfolios. The First Sea Lord led operations, the Second Sea Lord came to oversee personnel, and the Third Sea Lord inherited the Navy Board comptroller's unusually broad procurement latitude. Most numbered portfolios took recognizable shape only in the nineteenth century, and the Controller's inherited freedom made the Third Sea Lord unusually powerful until the 1964 defence reorganization. The secretary and permanent secretary added political and senior civil-service power, making Admiralty leadership an exercise in negotiation among several strong offices.
Chapter · 26:29-34:00
Sea Lords, secretaries, and the distribution of Admiralty power
See how operational, personnel, procurement, political, and civil-service authority accumulated around the Admiralty Board.