King's and Queen's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions

Research note, bibliography

This note constitutes a brief summary of of regulations used by the Royal Navy, and a summary of some editions over the last three centuries, based on our holdings and those of the British Library. Originally written in 2004, it was updated in 2022.

• Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea: established by His Majesty in council. First published 1731 (2nd ed. 1734) (9th ed., 1757) (13th ed., 1790) (Last? ed. 1806; viii, 438 pages, 174 unnumbered pages, 28 cm). Available here in electronic format.

• The Queen's Regulations and the Admiralty Instructions for the government of her Majesty's Naval Service, 1861. Published 1862; [409, 286 pages]. Available at
• The Queen's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the Government of Her Majesty's Naval Service. Published 1879
• Addenda to the Queen's Regulations and Admiralty instructions... Published 1880
• The Queen's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the Government of Her Majesty's Naval Service. Published 1887
• The Queen's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the Government of Her Majesty's Naval Service. Published 1889

• The King's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the government of His Majesty's Naval Service. 1906. Published 1906, Rev. ed.
• The King's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the government of His Majesty's Naval Service 1913. Published 1913, Rev. ed. embodying the alterations effected in the Regulations by Addenda, or otherwise, up to the 31st December 1912 [Volume I]
• The King's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the government of His Majesty's Naval Service 1913. Published 1920. Probably an omnibus edition of all alterations since 1913; referred to as Volume II by the Admiraly and British Libray, but not found in British Library.

Queen's Regulations and Admiralty instructions 1953 edition, the first "Her Majesty" since Queen Victoria

• The King's Regulations and Admiralty instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service. Vol.1. Articles. 1936. Embodying all alterations effected in the Regulations by Addenda, or otherwise, to 31st December, 1936. Published 1937
• The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service. Volume 1 - Articles - 1938. Embodying all alterations to 31st December, 1938. Published 1939.
• The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service. Volume II Appendices 1937. Published 1940.
• The King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the Government of His Majesty's Naval Service. Index to 1936 edition. Published 1940

• The Queen's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the government of Her Majesty's Naval Service. Published 1953. BR31
• The Queen's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for the government of Her Majesty's Naval Service. Published 1967, Revised ed.
• The Queen's regulations for the Royal Navy (1984); incorporating BR2Change16 and BR2Change19. incorporating changes 1-61.
• The Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy (1997)
• The Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy. 2014, April. BRd2
• The Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy. 2017, April. BRd2. Published electronically by the Royal Navy.