Defence Services Secretary

The '''Defence Services Secretary''' is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.{{Infobox official post | post = Defence Services Secretary / Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel Capability) | body = | insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (Tudor crown).svg | insigniasize = | insigniacaption = Arms of the Royal Household | insigniaalt = | flag = Flag of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom).svg | flagsize = | flagalt = | flagborder = | flagcaption = Flag of the British Armed Forces | image = | imagesize = | imagecaption = | incumbent = Major General Lisa Keetley | acting = | incumbentsince = October 2024 | department = British Armed Forces <br/> Royal Household | style = | type = | status = | abbreviation = DSS | member_of = | reports_to = The Monarch <br/>Secretary of State for Defence<br/> Chief of Defence Staff | residence = | seat = | nominator = Secretary of State for Defence | appointer = The Monarch | appointer_qualified = | termlength = | termlength_qualified = | constituting_instrument = | precursor = | formation = 1964 | first = General Sir Rodney Moore | last = | abolished = | succession = | unofficial_names = | deputy = | salary = | website = | footnotes = }}

==Responsibilities== The Defence Services Secretary is the senior member of the Royal Household responsible for liaison between the Sovereign and the British Armed Forces.<ref>[http://www.royal.gov.uk/monarchuk/armedforces/queenandthearmedforces.aspx The Queen and the Armed Services]</ref> They are answerable to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff for tri-service appointments, national ceremonial events and honours, decorations, awards and medals.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110529152852/http://veterans-uk.info/medals/instituted.html Veterans UK]}}</ref> From 1992 the Defence Services Secretary has been double-hatted with a second Ministry of Defence role, generally that of Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel).<ref>[http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3A7A2BEA-C92D-431A-B146-AC9E9860EB36/0/central_tlb.pdf Central Top Level Budget] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008043154/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3A7A2BEA-C92D-431A-B146-AC9E9860EB36/0/central_tlb.pdf |date=October 8, 2012 }}</ref>

==List of Defence Services Secretaries== Defence Services Secretaries have been:<ref>[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf Ministry of Defence & Tri-service senior appointments] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033054/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf |date=November 17, 2015 }}</ref> *General Sir Rodney Moore, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCB|KCVO|CBE|DSO}} 1964–1966 *Vice Admiral Sir Ian Hogg, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|CB|DSC}} 1966–1967 *Air Vice-Marshal Sir Alan Boxer, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|CB|DSO|DFC}} 1967–1970 *Major General Sir Chandos Blair, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|OBE|MC}} 1970–1972 *Rear Admiral Sir Ronald Forrest, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO}} 1972–1975 *Air Vice-Marshal Sir Brian Stanbridge, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|CBE|AFC}} 1975–1979 *Rear Admiral Sir Leslie Townsend, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|CBE}} 1979–1982 *Major General Sir Michael Palmer, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO}} 1982–1985 *Air Vice-Marshal Sir Richard Peirse, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|CB}} 1985–1988 *Rear Admiral Sir David Allen, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|KCVO|CBE}} 1988–1991 *Major General Brian Pennicott, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 1991–1994 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) from 1992) *Air Vice-Marshal Peter Harding, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CB|CVO|CBE|AFC}} 1994–1998 *Rear Admiral Rodney Lees, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 1998–2001 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) as secondary post) *Major General Christopher Elliot, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO|CBE}} 2001–2004 (Director General, Reserve Forces and Cadets as secondary post) *Air Vice-Marshal David Pocock, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 2004–2005 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) as secondary post) *Rear Admiral Peter Wilkinson, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 2005–2007 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) as secondary post) *Major General Matthew Sykes, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 2007–2010 *Air Vice-Marshal David Murray, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO|OBE}} 2010–2012 *Rear Admiral Simon Williams, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 2012–2015 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) as secondary post) *Major-General Richard Nugee, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO|CBE}} 2015–2016 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Reserves) as secondary post)<ref>[https://www.thetimes.com/article/army-appointment-jtx3dn53zrm Army appointment]</ref> *Air Vice-Marshal Garry Tunnicliffe, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO}} 2016–2019 (Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel Capability) as secondary post)<ref>Daily Telegraph, 2016, "Air Appointments" The Daily Telegraph 21 July 2016</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 61656|supp=y|page=16088|date=26 July 2016}}</ref> *Rear Admiral James Macleod, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CB|CVO}} 2019-2022 (Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel Capability) as secondary post)<ref>Royal Court Circular, 2019, Buckingham Palace, 27 March 2019</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=63135 |date=10 October 2020 |page=B2 |supp= y}}</ref><ref name="2022-02-16_Reuters">[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-17/queens-first-appearance-since-covid-scare/100838516 Queen Elizabeth II makes first appearance since Prince Charles's COVID diagnosis], ABC/Reuters, 2022-02-16</ref><ref>Royal Court Circular, 2022, Windsor Castle,16 February 2022</ref> *Major General Eldon Millar, {{post-nominals|sep=,|country=GBR|CVO|MBE}} 2022–2024 (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (People Capability) as secondary post)<ref>Royal Court Circular, 2022, St James Palace, 3 February 2022</ref><ref name="2022-02-16_Reuters" /><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=63640|date=15 March 2022|page=4774|supp=y}}</ref> *Major General Lisa Keetley 2024–present (Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (People Capability) as secondary post)

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Positions within the British Royal Household Category:British military appointments