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A French Aide-de-camp (right) assisting a General of Division (centre), during the Napoleonic wars.

An aide-de-camp (French for assistant in the field) is a personal assistant or secretary, to a person of high rank, usually a senior military or government officer, a member of the Royal Family, or a head of state. This is not to be confused with an adjutant, who is the senior administrator of a military unit. The first aide-de-camp is typically the foremost personal aide.




In Argentina, three officers (one from each armed service, of the rank of lieutenant colonel or its equivalent), are appointed as aide-de-camp to the President of the Republic and three others to the Minister of Defense, these six being the only ones to be called "edecán", which is one Spanish translation for aide-de-camp ("ayudante de campo" is another – "edecán" is a phonetic imitation of the French term; "ayudante de campo" is a word-for-word translation of it).

A controversy was raised in 2006, when president Néstor Kirchner decided to promote his Army aide-de-camp, Lt. Col. Graham to colonel, one year ahead of his class.

Upon taking office, current president Cristina Kirchner decided to have, for the first time, female officers as her aides-de-camp.




Commonwealth of Nations countries[edit]

"Her Aide-de-Camp", early 19th-century humorous/symbolic drawing


In British colonies and modern-day British Overseas Territories, the aide-de-camp is appointed to serve the governor.


On the last day of British rule in Hong Kong on 30 June 1997, the police aide-de-camp to Governor Chris Patten presented Patten with the flag at Government House. He then gave the Vice Regal Salute before proceeding, with the Pattens, to leave Government House for the last time.

Prince Charles is a Personal Aide-de-Camp to Queen Elizabeth II.


Australian Defence Force officers serve as aides-de-camp to specific senior appointments, such as the Queen, Governor-General, state governors, Defence Force Chiefs and other specified Army, Navy and Air Force command appointments. Honorary aides-de-camp to the Governor-General or state governors are entitled to the post-nominal ADC during their appointment. Officers of and above the ranks of Rear Admiral, Major General, and Air Vice Marshal in specifically designated command appointments are entitled to an aide de camp with the Army rank of Captain (or equivalent). Within the Navy, an aide-de-camp is called a "Flag Lieutenant" (as senior Naval Officers are "Flag Officers").



Aides-de-camp in Canada are appointed to the Queen and some members of the royal family, the governor general, lieutenant governors, and to certain other appointments (e.g., Minister of National Defence, flag/general officers, Canadian heads of mission, foreign heads of state visiting Canada).[1]


Most aides-de-camp wear a gold pattern aiguillette when acting in their official capacity; however, members of St. John Ambulance Canada wear silver aiguillettes consistent with their other accoutrements.[citation needed] All aides-de-camp also wear the cypher or badge of the principal to whom they are appointed.[3] Honorary appointees to the Queen (royal cypher), to the Duke of Edinburgh, or the Prince of Wales, wear the appropriate cypher on their uniform epaulet and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters ADC for the duration of their appointment.

Two lieutenant (N) shoulder boards with the insignia worn by honorary aides-de-camp to the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick (left) and Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (right).



United Kingdom[edit]

In the United Kingdom, junior officers serve as aides-de-camp to certain senior officers. Flag Lieutenant is the Royal Navy's equivalent. Equerries are equivalents to aides-de-camp in the Royal Household, in which ADCs are restricted to senior officers with a primarily honourific role.

There are several categories of these senior aides de camp to the Queen. Most are serving military, naval, and RAF officers, usually of colonel or brigadier rank or equivalent. There are also specific posts for very senior officers, such as First and Principal Naval Aide de Camp, Flag Aide de Camp, Aides de Camp General, and Air Aides de Camp. Analogous offices include the Lieutenant of the Admiralty, the Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom, and the Gold Stick and Silver Stick.

Certain members of the Royal Family with military rank may be appointed Personal Aides de Camp to The Queen. Those currently holding this appointment are Field Marshal HRH The Duke of Kent; Admiral of the Fleet HRH The Prince of Wales; Flight Lieutenant HRH The Duke of Cambridge; Captain Mark Phillips, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards; Rear Admiral HRH The Duke of York; Second Lieutenant HRH The Earl of Wessex and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.



When the President travels, an aide-de-camp often rides in the front passenger seat of the presidential car. He is one of the people who are closest to the President.

Hong Kong[edit]



In India, officers of the rank of Major General and equivalent and above in the sister services who are in command of divisions or of peacetime commands like Area HQ have ADCs who usually belong to their general's parent regiment/battalion. There have been instances where the sons have served a tenure of ADC to their fathers. The service chiefs (Chief of the Army/Air/Navy Staff) usually have three ADCs and the President of India has five ADCs (three from the army and one each from the navy and the air force). There is also one honorary ADC from the Territorial Army (The army reserve).The President may at his pleasure appoint any distinguished officer from the Armed Forces including the Service Chiefs as Honorary ADC. The Governor of the states have two ADCs, one each from the India Armed Forces and the Indian/State police services except for the state of Jammu and Kashmir where both the ADCs to the Governor are appointed from the Indian Army.


In Pakistan the President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Governors have their own aides-de-camp. The ADC can be from any one of the three Armed Forces and typically are of the rank of Captain (Army), Lieutenant (Navy) or Flight Lieutenant (Air Force). It is interesting to note that the ADC to Justice Khan Habibullah Khan, while he was Chief Minister/Leader of the House of West Pakistan, was his son, a senior bureaucrat, Captain (r) Akhtar Munir Marwat and Captain (r) Gohar Ayub Khan was to his father, President Field Marshal Ayub Khan. The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and all the three Services Chiefs (Army, Navy and Air Force) are authorised to have an ADC.

Imperial Russia[edit]

Portrait of Alexander Lanskoy, Aide-de-camp to the Empress, 1782, Russia



In Singapore, the President appoints ADCs from the armed services as well as officers selected from the police force and civil defence force. These Officers usually hold the rank of Major for both armed services and civil defence, whereas an assistant superintendent of police is chosen from the Singapore police force. Both Male and Female officers may serve as aides de camp.

Their duties include assisting in liaison for important guests on behalf of the President and taking care of visiting foreign dignitaries.[7]

Sri Lanka[edit]

In Sri Lanka, the President have ADCs from the three armed services as well as Extra-ADCs. All general, flag and air officers have their own ADCs usually selected from their parent regiment or unit.


President Kikwete (c) with his ADC

The President of Tanzania has an aide-de-camp from the Tanzania People's Defence Force from the rank of a colonel.

United States[edit]



Brigadier General: 1 Lieutenant
Major General: 1 Captain; 1 Lieutenant
Lieutenant General: 1 Major; 1 Captain
General: 1 Lieutenant Colonel, 1 Major, 1 Captain
General of the Army (or Chief of Staff, USA): 1 Colonel, 1 Lieutenant Colonel, 1 Major
Note: AR 614-100 states a General Officer may choose any commissioned officer of any rank equal to or below the allowed rank stated above.



The aide-de-camp in the United States Navy is also known as a Flag Aide (command ashore) or Flag Lieutenant (command afloat).[9][10]



  1. ^ Canadian Forces Administrative Order 3-4
  2. ^ CFAO 3-4
  3. ^ Canadian Forces Publication 265
  4. ^ a b CFP 265
  5. ^ Canada Gazette, February 9, 1974
  6. ^ Canadian Heritage - Styles of address - Others
  10. ^ "PERS-412 Flag Aide Nomination Availabilities List". United States Navy — Navy Personnel Command. 27 January 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014. 

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