Good day Worthy Knights, in this part 108, the Aide de Camp Wikipedia
Aide-de-Camp
An aide-de-camp (French expression meaning literally “helper in the military camp” is a personal assistant or secretary to a person of high rank, usually a senior military, police or government officer, or to a member of a royal family or a head of state.
An aide-de-camp may participate at ceremonial functions, and the first aide-de-camp is typically the foremost personal aide. This is not to be confused with an adjutant, who is the senior administrator of a military unit.
The badge of office for an aide-de-camp is usually the aiguillette, worn on the shoulder of a uniform. An aiguillette (French from aiguille, “needle”), is an ornamental braided cord with decorative metal tips worn on uniforms where it will denote an honour. This usage of “aiguillette” derives from lacing used to fasten plate armour together. As such, a knot or loop arrangement was used which sometimes hung from the shoulder.
In some countries, aide-de-camp is considered to be a title of honour, which confers the post-nominal letters ADC, A.D.C. or A de C.
United Kingdom
An aide-de-camp was defined in 1875 as “a confidential officer attached to the personal or private staff of a general“. In the field of battle, he functioned as “the bearer of his chief’s written or verbal orders, and when employed as the general’s mouthpiece he must be implicitly obeyed”. In garrison or quarters, however, his duties were more of a social character.
According to a British military dictionary dating from 1816, an Aide-de-Camp usually held rank equal to, or more senior than, an army captain
The sovereign, as head of the army, was entitled to appoint “an indefinite number of aides-de-camp”. Under Queen Victoria, appointments were made in recognition of distinguished war service; the appointment at that time carried with it promotion to the rank of full colonel. Additional, honorary appointments were made from among the officers of the Militia.
A distinctive and elaborate full dress uniform used to be worn by army aides-de-camp, but its use was largely discontinued after World War I.
Present day
In the British Army and the RAF, a junior officer may be appointed to serve as aide-de-camp to a senior officer; the equivalent appointment in the Royal Navy is flag lieutenant. Certain of the monarch’s representatives, including lord-lieutenants of counties, may appoint their own aides-de-camp.
The Royal Household
In addition, a fixed number of senior officers may be appointed as aides-de-camp to the Queen (or King), an appointment which entitles the holder to the post-nominal letters “ADC”. Most of these are serving army, navy, and air force officers, usually of colonel or brigadier rank or equivalent.
In 1991 the aides-de-camp to the Queen numbered sixty…
These are collectively known as the principal aides-de-camp. Representing the three services, they take part along with other members of the Royal Household in the State Processions at State Openings of Parliament, at coronations and at state funerals.
They are occasionally called upon individually to represent the Queen at memorial services and on other occasions.
Furthermore, aides-de-camp to a sovereign wear the monarch’s royal cypher on their shoulder straps or shoulder boards in various orders of dress.
So in the case of personal aide-de-camp to the Queen and the principal aides-de-camp, the officers concerned continue to wear the royal cypher after relinquishing the appointment; and if he or she has held the appointment under more than one sovereign then the cypher of each is worn
France
The President, as Commander-in-chief of the French armed forces, is served by aides-de-camp. In general, there are three, including one who traditionally serves in the French Army, and all of whom are at the rank of lieutenant colonel. In essence, their mission is to transport the briefcase permitting the use of nuclear weapons…
General Sir Baker Russell wearing the full-dress uniform of an aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria