Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson, the King and Queen’s senior
equerry and one of the most recognisable faces around the Royal
Family, is to leave the Royal Household at the end of the year.
The Palace confirmed on Tuesday that Lt Col Thompson will also
leave the British Army after almost 22 years of military service,
with the 43-year-old planning to pursue a career in the private
sector.
The departure brings to an end seven years in royal service for
the officer, who first joined the household in 2019 as an equerry
to the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. He
subsequently remained at the King’s side following Charles’s
accession in 2022 and was appointed Senior Equerry to the King and
Queen two years later.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the King and Queen had known
about his plans in advance.
“Their Majesties were of course aware of this plan in advance
and I know they are most grateful to Jonny for his support over the
past seven years and wish him all the best for the future.”
Lt Col Thompson was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of
Scotland in April 2006, serving on operations in both Iraq and
Afghanistan before commanding Balaklava Company, 5 Scots.
In 2018 and 2019, he led the ceremonial and military support for
the late Queen’s annual residence at Balmoral. His connection with
the Royal Family subsequently became much closer when he was
appointed an equerry to Charles and Camilla in December 2019.
When Charles became King in September 2022, Thompson became his
equerry, before being promoted to Senior Equerry to both the King
and Queen.
The role is considerably more than simply accompanying the King
at public engagements. Equerries are senior military officers who
act as formal assistants to members of the Royal Family, helping
with official diaries and accompanying them on engagements and
overseas tours.