George Zambellas

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Template:Infobox military person Admiral Sir George Michael Zambellas, Template:Post-nominals (born 4 April 1958)[1] is a British retired Royal Navy officer. He served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from April 2013[2] before handing over duties to Admiral Sir Philip Jones in April 2016.[3]

In his early career Zambellas served as a helicopter pilot with 814 Naval Air Squadron, 829 Naval Air Squadron and then 815 Naval Air Squadron.[1] As Captain of Template:HMS he was deployed as part of Operation Palliser off Sierra Leone, for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross in 2001.[4] He went on to be Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in early 2012.[5] In June 2024, he was appointed to the ancient honorary office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.[6][7]

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Born at Swansea, Wales, the son of a Greek father, Michael George Zambellas and Rosemary Frederique née Lindsay,[8] Zambellas was educated at Shabani Primary School and Peterhouse School in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), then at Stowe School.[1] He read Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southampton, graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.[1]

Career[edit | edit source]

Sculpture of Admiral Zambellas by Stephen Kettle

Zambellas was commissioned as an acting sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy on 17 September 1980.[9] He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 May 1982[10] and served with 814 Naval Air Squadron, 829 Naval Air Squadron and 815 Naval Air Squadron in his early career.[1]

Zambellas was trained for the Naval Staff at Greenwich in 1990,[1] and after spending a short time as a corporate planner for the Royal Navy's manpower and training division within the Ministry of Defence, he took command of the mine-sweeper Template:HMS in 1991.[1] His next appointment was ashore, as an aviation operations officer in the Fleet Headquarters at Northwood, before being promoted to commander on 30 June 1994.[11] In 1995 he was given command of the frigate Template:HMS and was deployed on counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean.[1]

Zambellas served as a corporate planner during the 1997–98 Strategic Defence Review[1] before returning to operational command in 1999 as captain of the frigate Template:HMS and being deployed as part of Operation Palliser off Sierra Leone for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross in 2001.[4][12] In 2001 he took the Higher Command and Staff Course at Shrivenham before becoming Deputy Flag Officer Sea Training, responsible for training Royal Navy and foreign warships and auxiliaries.[1]

Zambellas speaking at Chatham House in 2012

Promoted to commodore in 2002, Zambellas was appointed to be principal staff officer to the Chief of the Defence staff and served Admiral Sir Michael Boyce and General Sir Michael Walker during the invasion of Iraq and the early days of its fallout.[1] He was given command of the Royal Navy's Amphibious Task Group in January 2005.[1]

Promoted as rear admiral on 29 August 2006[13] and appointed Chief of Staff (Transformation),[1] Zambellas was in this role entrusted with "designing and delivering the Fleet's new approach to the generation of maritime capability and support to operations."[14] In 2007, he became Commander of United Kingdom Maritime Force,[1] then in October 2008, Chief of Staff (Operations) at UK Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood.[1]

Promoted vice admiral on 18 January 2011,[15] Zambellas was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Chief of Staff to Navy Command Headquarters, and Chief Naval Warfare Officer.[16] He became Commander-in-Chief Fleet in January 2012 and was promoted admiral on 6 January 2012.[17] He was also double-hatted as Commander, Allied Maritime Command in January 2012.[18] In April 2012 his role was re-designated Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Service.[5]

Zambellas was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2012 Birthday Honours[19] and became First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff on 9 April 2013.[20][2] As of 2015, Zambellas was paid a salary of between £180,000 and £184,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[21]

On 15 April 2014, in an op-ed article for the Daily Telegraph Zambellas laid out the case for a "No" vote at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, stating that it would weaken British maritime defence.[22] Despite this, on 12 November 2014 he was publicly chastised by the UK Defence Secretary for suggesting to a journalist that the contract for Type 26 frigates may not be awarded to Scottish shipyards.[23][24]

On 4 July 2014, Zambellas was among those attending the launch ceremony of the 70,600-tonne Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest warship ever built in the United Kingdom, and formally named by Queen Elizabeth II.[25]

Appointed President of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society in 2017,[26] Zambellas serves as Renter Warden of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights (for 2024/25).[27]

Honours and awards[edit | edit source]

Admiral Zambellas' banner as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports[28]

Zambellas was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 2016 New Year Honours[29] being invested at Windsor Castle with Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford on 13 April 2016.[30]

An Elder Brother of Trinity House since 2016,[1] Zambellas was admitted to the Freedom of the Shipwrights' Company in 2014 (becoming Renter Warden for 2024/25), and is an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors.[31]

Elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) in 2009,[1] and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) for Dorset in September 2013,[32] Zambellas serves as an Extra Equerry to King Charles III since 17 March 2023.[33] He succeeded Lord Boyce, on 20 June 2024, as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle.[6][7][34]

Country Date Appointment Ribbon Post-nominal letters Notes
United Kingdom 6 April 2001 Distinguished Service Cross DSC [4][35]
United Kingdom 2001 Operational Service Medal for Sierra Leone [35]
United Kingdom 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal [35]
United Kingdom 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal [35]
United Kingdom 16 June 2012 Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath KCB [19] promoted GCB
United Kingdom 31 December 2015 Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath GCB [36][35]
United Kingdom 2016 Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal [35] Two clasps
United Kingdom 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal [35]
United Kingdom 2023 King Charles III Coronation Medal [35]

Personal life[edit | edit source]

In 1982 Zambellas married Amanda Jane LeCudennec; they have three sons.[1]

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Zambellas.

References[edit | edit source]


Template:S-milTemplate:S-newTemplate:S-hon
Preceded by Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet
2011
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief Fleet
January – April 2012

Template:S-non

Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
April – November 2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by First Sea Lord
2013–2016
Preceded by Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
2024–present

Template:S-inc

Template:First Sea Lord

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Template:Who's Who
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Admiral Sir George Zambellas to head up Navy.  (24 January 2013)  Retrieved 6 July 2014 from link
  3. ↑ Admiral Sir Philip Jones takes over as First Sea Lord.  Royal Navy.  Retrieved 20 July 2016 from link
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Navy Board.  Royal Navy.  Retrieved 27 January 2012 from link
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Appointment of Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Ports.  Retrieved 21 May 2024 from gov.uk
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1
  8. ↑ Index entry.  ONS.  Retrieved 23 July 2016 from link
  9. ↑
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑ No medal for SAS man killed in hostage rescue.  (6 April 2001)  The Telegraph.  Retrieved 27 January 2013 from link
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ Making a change.  Defence Management Journal, Issue 37.  Retrieved 27 January 2013 from link
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ Service Appointments October 2010.  (2 November 2010)  Defence Viewpoints.  Retrieved 27 January 2013 from link
  17. ↑
  18. ↑ Admiral Sir George Zambellas KCB DSC ADC.  Ministry of Defence.  Retrieved 26 April 2023 from link
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1
  20. ↑ Admiral Zambellas new First Sea Lord.  (9 April 2013)  Inside Government.  Retrieved 9 April 2013 from link
  21. ↑ Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 – GOV.UK.  (2015-12-17)  Retrieved 2016-03-13 from gov.uk
  22. ↑ Scottish independence would 'damage' Britain's defence.  (15 April 2014)  The Telegraph.  Retrieved 15 April 2014 from link
  23. ↑ Michael Fallon overrules First Sea Lord over Scottish shipyards.  (12 November 2014)  The Telegraph.  Retrieved 12 November 2014 from link
  24. ↑ Zambellas interview with Defense News.  (13 November 2014)  Defense News.  Retrieved 13 November 2014 from link
  25. ↑ Aircraft Carrier Named by Queen.  (4 July 2014)  The Argus (Brighton).  Retrieved 6 July 2014 from link
  26. ↑ Seafaring charity welcomes new president to its headquarters.  (24 February 2017)  Retrieved from Argus
  27. ↑ www.shipwrights.co.uk
  28. ↑ Facebook.  Retrieved 2024-09-19 from www.facebook.com
  29. ↑
  30. ↑ Joint investiture highlights strength of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force partnership.  (13 April 2016)  Royal Navy.  Retrieved 14 April 2016 from link
  31. ↑ Mr Chamberlain's list of applicants for the Freedom of the City.  (15 March 2016)  City of London.  Retrieved 19 July 2016 from link [permanent dead link‍]
  32. ↑
  33. ↑ Court Circular: 17 March 2023.  Retrieved from The Royal Family
  34. ↑ Dover: Ceremony welcomes new Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.  (30 October 2024)  Retrieved from BBC News
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 35.6 35.7 Dover: Ceremony welcomes new Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.  Retrieved 2024-11-23 from www.bbc.com
  36. ↑ New Year Honours 2016 for service personnel and defence civilians.  (31 December 2015)  Ministry of Defence.  Retrieved 2 January 2016 from GOV.UK
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