Former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key has been formally stripped of his knighthood and CBE, over a year after being dismissed from his post following an investigation into an extramarital affair with a female subordinate.
Key, who served as the professional head of the Royal Navy from 2021 until his suspension in May 2025, faced an internal inquiry that concluded his behavior fell “far short of the values and standards expected” of service personnel. Investigators found that the relationship breached the military’s strict “service test,” which prohibits sexual relationships between commanders and those under their direct command.
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The subsequent findings led to the termination of his service and commission in July 2025—marking a historic and ignominious end to a career that began when he joined the navy as a university cadet in 1984. Having previously been awarded a CBE in 2016 and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2021, his case was referred to the Cabinet Office Forfeitures Committee, resulting in the withdrawal of his state honours.
A Royal Navy spokesperson emphasized that the service holds its personnel to the highest standards of conduct, adding that any allegations of unacceptable behavior are thoroughly investigated with serious consequences for those found guilty.
