Ben Key
Sir Ben Key | |
|---|---|
Key in 2022 | |
| Born | 7 November 1965 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1984–2025 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Service number | C031724D |
| Commands | First Sea Lord Chief of Joint Operations Fleet Commander HMS Illustrious HMS Lancaster HMS Iron Duke HMS Sandown |
| Conflicts | Kosovo War Iraq War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Bronze Star Medal (United States) |
| Alma mater | Royal Holloway, University of London Britannia Royal Naval College |
Admiral Sir Benjamin John Key, KCB, CBE (born 7 November 1965) is a former Royal Navy officer, who served as First Sea Lord from November 2021 to May 2025. On 2 July 2025, the Ministry of Defence announced that Key's service and commission had been terminated following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which found him to have "fallen far short of the values and standards expected of service personnel".
Key had commanded HM Ships Sandown, Iron Duke, Lancaster, and Illustrious, and deployed on operations to Kosovo and Iraq. He was appointed Fleet Commander in 2016, and the Chief of Joint Operations in 2019.