The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an (now honorary) office (not a rank) generally held by a senior retired Royal Navy admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral (an office vested in the Sovereign since 1964).
In former days, the Vice-Admiral of England (or Vice-Admiral of Great Britain following the 1707 union with Scotland) was the second most powerful position in the Royal Navy, and until 1801 was officially called the Lieutenant of the Admiralty. The office was created in 1545 by Henry VIII. Amongst other responsibilities, the Lieutenant of the Admiralty presided over the Council of the Marine (later known as the Navy Board).
