Editing Captain general (section)

=== Great Britain ===
From 30 June to 22 October 1513, [[Catherine of Aragon]] held the titles Governor of the Realm and Captain General of the King's Forces as [[regent|Queen Regent]] of [[England]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/catherine_aragon_timeline.htm|title=The Tudors - Catherine of Aragon Timeline - History|date=4 December 2013|website=historyonthenet.com|access-date=6 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126103655/http://www.historyonthenet.com/tudors/catherine_aragon_timeline.htm|archive-date=26 January 2017}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=February 2016}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Dr Sean |date=2020-05-20 |title=The National Archives - Katherine of Aragon and an army for the North in 1513 |url=https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/katherine-of-aragon-and-an-army-for-the-north-in-1513/ |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=The National Archives blog |language=en-GB}}</ref> winning the [[Battle of Flodden]] against a Scottish invasion while [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] was in France fighting the [[Battle of the Spurs]].

==== Commander-in-Chief of the Forces====
In the mid-17th century, with the first establishment in England of something akin to a [[standing army]], the title Captain General was used (either alongside or in place of that of [[Commander-in-Chief of the Forces]]) to signify its commanding officer. In 1645 [[Thomas Fairfax]] was appointed "Captain General and Commander-in-Chief all the armies and forces raised and to be raised within the Commonwealth of England."<ref name=lingard>{{cite book|first=John|last=Lingard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VZxXAAAAcAAJ&q=Commander-in-Chief+within+the+Commonwealth+of+England+fairfax&pg=PA447|title=A History of England from the First Invasion by the Romans|page=447|volume=XI|publisher=Baldwin and Cradock|year=1829}}</ref> After the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]], King Charles II likewise designated [[General Monck]] "Captaine Generall of all our Armies and land forces and men … in and out of our Realmes of England, Scotland and Ireland and Dominion of Wales"; (he was also referred to on occasion as "Lord Generall" and "Commander in Chief of all His Majesty's Forces").<ref name=Roper1998>{{cite book |last1=Roper |first1=Michael |title=The Records of the War Office and Related Departments, 1660-1964 |date=1998 |publisher=Public Record Office |location=Kew, Surrey }}</ref> The office then remained [[in abeyance]] until 1678 when it was granted to the [[Duke of Monmouth]], but he was deprived of this and other titles the following year.<ref name=Roper1998/> There were no subsequent appointments until the reign of [[Queen Anne of Great Britain|Queen Anne]].

In the 18th century, the office of Captain General was held by the [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|Duke of Marlborough]] (1702 to 1711), the [[James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde|Duke of Ormonde]] (1711 to 1714) and the Duke of Marlborough again (1714 to 1722). Thereafter there was no permanent Commander-in-Chief or equivalent appointed until 1744; the following year the office of Captain General was vested in [[Prince William, Duke of Cumberland]]. Cumberland resigned in 1757; his successors in command were for the most part appointed Commander-in-Chief but not Captain General, with one exception: the last appointment of a Captain General of the Forces was that of [[Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany|Prince Frederick, the Duke of York]] in 1799.<ref name=Roper1998/>

Any distinction that there may have been at this time between the office of "Captain General" and "Commander-in-Chief" is unclear. One difference is that the Commander-in-Chief was appointed by [[Commission (document)|commission]] and the Captain General by [[Letters patent|patent]], leading some to surmise that the appointment of Captain General was 'one of dignity, not of power';<ref name="Roper1998" /> however the matter is somewhat academic as most Captains General held the appointment of Commander-in-Chief simultaneously (and from 1757 the appointment of Commanders-in-Chief was itself done by patent).

====Other uses====
Since the 17th century the title Captain General has been in use in England for the titular head of the [[Honourable Artillery Company]]<ref name="HAC">{{cite web |title=Relationship between the Active Unit and the Company |url=https://www.hac.org.uk/home/about-the-hac/who-we-are/relationship-between-the-active-unit-and-the-compa/ |website=The Honourable Artillery Company |access-date=8 December 2018}}</ref> and in Scotland for the senior officer of the [[Royal Company of Archers]].<ref name="Paul1875">{{cite book |last1=Paul |first1=Sir James Balfour |title=The History of the Royal Company of Archers: The Queen's Body-guard for Scotland |date=1875 |publisher=WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS |location=EDINBURGH AND LONDON |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyroyalcom00paulgoog/page/n51 35] |url=https://archive.org/details/historyroyalcom00paulgoog}}</ref>

In 1947 the position of Colonel-in-Chief, Royal Marines was changed by its incumbent, King [[George VI]], to that of [[Captain General Royal Marines]]; likewise, the position of Colonel-in-Chief of the [[Royal Regiment of Artillery]] was changed by its incumbent, George VI, to Captain General.

The formal head of the Combined Cadet Force is also titled Captain General.