§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will inform the House why the name of the Queen has been inserted in the List of the Officers of the Army published in the Monthly Army List on the 8th of July; whether such insertion indicates any change in the relations hitherto maintained by the Sovereign with respect to the Army; and, whether it is consistent with the Preamble of the Mutiny Act that the Sovereign should be included in the List of the Officers of the Army, for whose control that Act was annually passed by Her Majesty and Parliament?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYIn reply to the Question of the hon. and gallant Member, I have to say that the Queen's name is not inserted in the list of the officers of the Army. It has long been placed at the head of Hart's unofficial "Army List"—with the names of her aides-do-camp following. I regarded that as the suitable position in which it should be placed, in consideration of the relations which Her Majesty bears to the Army. With respect to the second Question, the insertion indicates no change in the relations hitherto maintained by the Sovereign with respect to the Army, but is, on the contrary, a confirmation of those relations that have always existed. With respect to the Preamble of the Mutiny Act and the Mutiny Act itself, they have no influence on Her Majesty whatever; for I am not aware that Her Majesty is in Her Majesty's military service.