Tony Radakin
Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, KCB, ADC (born 10 November 1965) is a senior Royal Navy officer. He has served as Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, since November 2021. Radakin was previously the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Naval Service from June 2019 to November 2021. He was Chief of Staff, Joint Forces Command, from 2016 to 2018, and the Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff from 2018 to 2019. He was appointed Lord High Constable of England in 2023, and in that role took part in the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.[2]
Sir Tony Radakin
10 November 1965
Oldham, Lancashire, England
United Kingdom
1990–present
C032545M[1]
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Bronze Star Medal (United States)
4
Early life and education[edit]
Radakin was born on 10 November 1965 in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.[3][4][5] He moved to Portishead, Somerset, when he was five years old.[6] He was educated at St Brendan's College, then an all-boys state Catholic grammar school in Bristol.[7][3][6]
Radakin studied law at the University of Southampton,[5] graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1989.[3][7] He was sponsored through university by the Royal Navy.[8]
He continued his legal career alongside his naval service, and qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1996.[3][9]
He later studied international relations and defence studies at King's College London, completing a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 2000.[9][10][5]
Personal life[edit]
In 1995, Radakin married. He lives in Hampshire with his wife, Louise, and their four sons (born between 1998 and 2005).[3][5] Radakin is also President of the Royal Navy Squash Association and the Armed Forces Tennis Association and the Vice Admiral of the Royal Naval Sailing Association.[50]