Sir Mark Stanhope, First Sea Lord

First Sea Lord: Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE, ADC, DL

The highest ranking Naval Officer to have attended Worthing High School for Boys

Mark Stanhope was born in Hammersmith on 26 March 1952. After attending the London Nautical School for some years Mark moved with his family to Sussex and he became a pupil at Worthing High School for Boys on 5 September 1968. Upon leaving the school on 16 July 1970 he joined the Royal Navy as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth. During his period of officer training he read Physics at St Peter’s College Oxford where he graduated MA. He was confirmed in the rank of sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1972.

As to be expected from someone who achieved such high ranking and status, Stanhope’s career was varied and covered a wide range of different responsibilities. He commanded submarines, both conventional (HMS Orpheus) and nuclear-powered (HMS Splendid), the frigate HMS London, and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.

In between his sea-going appointments he held a teaching post on the “Perisher” course for prospective submarine commanders, and the post of Captain Submarine Sea Training. He also served as Deputy principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence and attended the Royal College of Defence Studies. He was appointed OBE in the 1989 New Year Honours List.

In the year 2000, following promotion to Rear Admiral, Stanhope was appointed Director of Operational Management at NATO Regional Command North. In 2002 he was seconded to the Cabinet Office before being promoted to Vice Admiral and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Two years after that he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2004 New Year Honours List and in the same year was promoted to full Admiral and was appointed Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, the lead role in the military transformation of the NATO alliance. In 2007 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief Fleet.

The pinnacle of his career was reached in July 2009 with his appointment as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, but yet one more honour was to follow in 2010 when his KCB was upgraded to Knight Grand Cross (GCB).

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope’s successful career came to a close on 9 April 2013 when he formally stood down as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in a ceremony held, for the first time, on board his flagship HMS Victory in Portsmouth harbour. The ceremony culminated with the lowering of the outgoing First Sea Lord’s flag and its presentation to Sir Mark.

As a postscript, amongst other honours bestowed on Sir Mark during his career were an honorary fellowship of St Peter’s College Oxford, Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, Freeman of the City of London, and an honorary Doctorate of Science from Plymouth University.

Sir Mark says that his time at Worthing High School for Boys was memorable - it shaped him well for joining the Navy, was instrumental in giving him the grades necessary to get to Oxford, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope (left) and his successor Admiral Sir George Zambellas (right) salute as

the flag of the First Sea Lord is lowered from the main mast of HMS Victory.

Image by LA(Phot) Keith Morgan/MOD