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Admiral The Lord Boyce GCB OBE DL
2 April 1943 –
Lord Boyce Picture: Courtesy of the Submariners Association
Place of birth	Cape Town, South Africa
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Admiral
Battles/wars	Cold War, Falklands War
Awards	GCB, OBE

Admiral Michael Cecil Boyce, Baron Boyce, GCB, OBE, DL (born 2 April 1943) is a cross bench member of the British House of Lords, a former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy and Chief of Defence Staff.

Educated at Hurstpierpoint College he joined the Royal Navy in 1961. He was a submariner who went on to command the submarines HMS Oberon, HMS Opossum and HMS Superb.^[1] He went on to command the frigate, HMS Brilliant.^[2] He was promoted to sub-lieutenant (from acting sub-lieutenant) in 1965,^[3] lieutenant in 1966^[4] and lieutenant-commander in 1974.^[5]

From 1986 to 1991 he held several posts at the Ministry of Defence, first as Assistant Director of Naval Plans and then as Director of Naval Staff Duties. From 1992 to 1995 he was Flag Officer, Surface Flotilla and from 1995 to 1997 he was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.^[2]

He was appointed Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1997, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in 1998 and, then, Chief of the Defence Staff in 2001,^[2] he retired from that position in 2003.^[6]

Boyce was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours.^[7] He was knighted in the 1995 New Year Honours, as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).^[8] In 2002 he was made a Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John.^[9] He was created a life peer as Baron Boyce, of Pimlico in the City of Westminster in 2003 after retiring as Chief of the Defence Staff.^[10] In 2004 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London.^[11]

In retirement he was one of the several retired Chiefs of Defence Staff who spoke out in the House of Lords about the risk to servicemen facing liability for their actions - for which he claims politicians are ultimately responsible - before the International Criminal Court.^[12]

Lord Boyce had also expressed concern regarding the legality of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and sought an assurance from the Government that it was legal. The advice that it was has since been subject to sustained attack.

In July 2004 he was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports,^[13][14] to succeed the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Lord Boyce was the first former Chief of the Naval Staff to hold this appointment.

v • d • e First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy

The Earl Howe • Sir Peter Parker • Prince William, Duke of Clarence • Sir George Cockburn • Sir Thomas Hardy • The Hon. George Heneage Dundas • Charles Adam • Sir George Cockburn • Sir Charles Adam • Sir George Cockburn • Sir William Parker • Sir Charles Adam • James Whitley Deans Dundas • The Hon. Maurice FitzHardinge Berkeley • Hyde Parker • The Hon. Maurice FitzHardinge Berkeley • The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas • William Fanshawe Martin • The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas • The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey • Sir Alexander Milne • Sir Sydney Dacres • Sir Alexander Milne • Sir Hastings Yelverton • George Wellesley • Sir Astley Cooper Key • Sir Arthur Acland Hood • Lord John Hay • Sir Arthur Acland Hood • Sir Richard Vesey Hamilton • Sir Anthony Hoskins • Sir Frederick Richards • Lord Walter Kerr • Sir John A. Fisher • Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson • Sir Francis Bridgeman • Prince Louis of Battenberg • The Baron Fisher of Kilverstone • Sir Henry Jackson • Sir John Jellicoe • Sir Rosslyn Wemyss • The Earl Beatty • Sir Charles Madden, Bt • Sir Frederick Field • The Lord Chatfield • Sir Roger Backhouse • Sir Dudley Pound • The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope • Sir John Cunningham • The Lord Fraser of North Cape • Sir Rhoderick McGrigor • The Earl Mountbatten of Burma • Sir Charles Lambe • Sir Caspar John • Sir David Luce • Sir Varyl Begg • Sir Michael Le Fanu • Sir Peter Hill-Norton • Sir Michael Pollock • Sir Edward Ashmore • Sir Terence Lewin • Sir Henry Leach • Sir John Fieldhouse • Sir William Staveley • Sir Julian Oswald • Sir Benjamin Bathurst • Sir Jock Slater • Sir Michael Boyce • Sir Nigel Essenhigh • Sir Alan West • Sir Jonathon Band •