18th and first half of the 19th century
Uniforms for naval officers were not authorised until 1748. At first the cut and style of the uniform differed considerably between ranks, and specific rank insignia were only … See more

From 1863 officers were commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve this was for serving merchant navy officers only. They had rings each formed from two 1⁄4 inch wavy lines intersecting each other. The curl was formed into a six-pointed star. The lieutenant … See more

Part of the RN as the Senior Service, the Royal Marines uses the same rank structure and insignia that the British Army has, save for the field marshal rank, and the RM initials for … See more

• Archived 2008 Royal Navy official webpage on Uniforms and Badges of Rank
• Illustrations of Naval epaulettes at the National Maritime Museum
• Royal Navy ranks, professions, trades and badges of rank … See more

Warrant officers first received their uniforms in 1787. The navigators, surgeons and pursers were commissioned in 1843 and their insignia are described above. See more

Officers in the Women's Royal Naval Service had straight rings in light blue, with a diamond shape instead of the curl. The Women's Royal Naval Service was abolished in 1994 and female officers now have the same gold rings as male officers. See more

• British Army officer rank insignia
• RAF officer ranks
• Ranks of the cadet forces of the United Kingdom
• Royal Marines Band Service See more