 Kerr became Second Naval Lord again in May 1899 before being made First Naval Lord in August 1899, and promoted to full admiral on 21 March 1900.Following the succession of King Edward VII, he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1902 Coronation Honours list published on 26 June 1902, and received the insignia in an investiture on board the royal yacht "Victoria and Albert" outside Cowes on 15 August 1902, the day before the fleet review held there to mark the coronation.He was then promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 16 June 1904.