RE your letters from Geoff Howe (HAS, Sept 23) and the Reverend David Kinch (HAS, Oct 5) regarding the absence of the prefix “Royal” from the Army compared to the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force. The latter three were all commissioned under Royal Warrant and therefore enjoy that prefix.

The Army does not include Royal in its title because, historically, many of its regiments were raised and paid for on an individual aristocrat basis, rather than directly employed and paid for by the Crown. These individual regiments eventually joined together to form the Army under Parliament.

The Bill of Rights 1689 established the requirement for Parliamentary approval for a standing army in peacetime.

This is to demonstrate the supremacy of the state over the army in a democracy.

Consequently, every year Parliament has to vote for the Army to continue as an Armed Service (otherwise it would exist against the law).

It should be remembered that it was Cromwell’s New Model Army that brought about the demise of King Charles I. Even though the same army in 1660 restored the monarchy, I think the combination of Royal and Army would have been a bit much to bear in those times and has carried on to this day.

Ian Sadler, Darlington.