Lt. Colonel Johnny Thompson of the Scots Guards and Handsome Men In Kilts **Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Maggie Muggins
- Start date
Thanks, Lizle - we have a busy schedule to keep watch on ! At present, there's no way I can see to tell whether or not Jonny will be at a particular event, although he seems to recently have attended the Windsor-based ones.
The King and Queen are to attend Chelsea Flower Show on Sunday, 20th before it opens officially.
Sorry - they are due to visit on Monday, 20th May !
Lovely photograph of LtCol Jonathan Thompson and Queen Camilla. France 2023.
It would be so nice to see more photos like this one ... perhaps this year's Lonach Gathering or the upcoming State Visit to Australia ...
It would be so nice to see more photos like this one ... perhaps this year's Lonach Gathering or the upcoming State Visit to Australia ...
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It would be so nice lizle..... I'm more hopeful for the less formal events like Chelsea, Ascot, Balmoral/Lonach etc🤞.... as I'm guessing the new Equerry/s will cover the state/formal events? That said- if the King continues with a good recovery & they do go to Australia, you really could imagine that their Majesties would want Jonny with them .... so we may still get to see him visible for some events. Fingers crossed!
We may not get this sort of thing in the warmer climbs of Australia! - so a reminder from Kenya🤩
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I suspect you could be right : Jonny hasn't worn his RRS uniform to an event in the past six months and those wouldn't require it. I just find it very strange though.
( Oh, apart from the Burns Night ceilidh in the Fife Arms Hotel ).
I am hoping we will see Jonny during Ascot ... it seems so many of the King's staff attend for at least one day during the event.
Last year's Lonach Gathering was so wonderful, with the King and Jonny both attending. I believe the King was made an honorary Lonach Highlander during last year's Gathering but I may be wrong about that. If the King attends again this year, this is the one event during which I would love to see Jonny again in his handsome RRS No1A ceremonial dress uniform. It would fit in perfectly with the King in his kilt, all of the Highlanders in theirs, and the 'continuing story' of the King and Jonny attending together.
I do not expect to see Jonny during the King's Honour Guard welcome to Balmoral this year. Last year Jonny was still the King's Equerry-in-Waiting and his unexpected appearance was a wonderful surprise. Especially for the photos in which he was looking directly at the camera.
Agree - the pics from Balmoral last year are some of my favourites..... as you say - looking straight at us🤩
What about on D Day in France ??????
I MISS SEEING HIM !
The King's Scottish Week is the first week in July : he has a garden party scheduled for 2nd July. I'd be surprised if Jonny didn't accompany the King throughout the week, it wouldn't really sit right to exclude him in front of his own Regiment. Bad form.
Last year the King and Jonny visited the Britannia during Royal Week. Jonny accompanying the King throughout the week does seem the proper thing to be done, especially considering his Regiment. Even if Jonny's new duties do not require the RRS uniform, seeing Jonny in one of his splendid bespoke suits would be lovely.
if he's still with his Regiment, wouldn't he be required to wear his uniform for certain occasions, such as a D Day ceremony?
Here is a thought ... Sir Tony is retired from his branch of military service yet appears at times, such as during some BP Receptions, in his formal military uniform. The same with Sir Tim, husband of the Princes Royal.
So this pattern has been established ... retired military officers ... appearing in formal dress uniforms ... for some occasions. Following this line of thought, might we expect the same of Jonny?
Below is a portion of the RRS Dress Regulation page with directions regarding occasions when the uniform is to be worn ... the uniform we are so used to seeing Jonny wear. Note it says, " ... also worn by ... Equerry at Court". Jonny rotated out of his Equerry-in-Waiting secondment at the end of his term and is now a member of the Royal Household. So, will Jonny also fall under the same guidelines as Sir Tony and Sir Tim? Will he wear his RRS ceremonial uniform per the rules outlined at the top of the image posted below, on the same types of occasions for which we see Sir Tony and Sir Tim in uniform?
A bit of a convoluted line of thought. Sorry!
Edited - Removed a duplicate word and added credit for the image.
Credit: Royal Regiment of Scotland, Dress Regulations Part 1
So this pattern has been established ... retired military officers ... appearing in formal dress uniforms ... for some occasions. Following this line of thought, might we expect the same of Jonny?
Below is a portion of the RRS Dress Regulation page with directions regarding occasions when the uniform is to be worn ... the uniform we are so used to seeing Jonny wear. Note it says, " ... also worn by ... Equerry at Court". Jonny rotated out of his Equerry-in-Waiting secondment at the end of his term and is now a member of the Royal Household. So, will Jonny also fall under the same guidelines as Sir Tony and Sir Tim? Will he wear his RRS ceremonial uniform per the rules outlined at the top of the image posted below, on the same types of occasions for which we see Sir Tony and Sir Tim in uniform?
A bit of a convoluted line of thought. Sorry!
Edited - Removed a duplicate word and added credit for the image.
Credit: Royal Regiment of Scotland, Dress Regulations Part 1
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According to his Who's Who he was appointed as the King's equerry in 2022, so in theory he has another year left in that post. Could he have opted out of the equery position to be part of the household yet still be an active part of his Regiment?
No ... the clock simply ran out on Jonny's time in the Equerry assignment. If I have my facts straight, he served a year longer than an Equerry would normally serve. Serving as King's Equerry for three years, from September 2022, does not apply in this situation.
In March of this year he would have returned to either the RRS or British Army. It appears that the King did not want to lose Jonny so a position was offered. We still do not know what Jonny's new title and role might be. We only know that we continue to see him with the King. Additionally, we do not know if Jonny remains with the RRS through some arrangement or if he has retired.
According to RRS information, Jonny began his secondment from the RRS, as Equerry to Charles Prince of Wales, in March 2020. His secondment was for a period of 3 years and was due to end March 2023, at which time Jonny would have automatically rotated back to his service and a posting with either the Royal Regiment of Scotland or the British Army.
Then the timeline for service as the Monarch's Equerry was disrupted upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Both Jonny and the late Queen's Equerry still had time remaining in their Equerry secondments.
King Charles could have ended Jonny's time as Equerry, and kept the late Queen's Equerry who still had time left in his secondment to the Queen. If the King had decided to keep the late Queen's Equerry, he would have sent Jonny back to the Royal Regiment of Scotland immediately upon the death of the Queen.
However, King Charles chose instead to keep Jonny and end the late Queen's Equerry's time early and sent him back to his branch of military service. He then elevated Jonny to the position of King's Equerry and shortly thereafter promoted him to Lieutenant Colonel.
So, King Charles chose to retain Jonny and have him complete his original secondment plus Jonny also finished the remaining time of secondment for the Queen's last Equerry. Charles, as the reigning Monarch, and in this unusual situation with Equerries, had the power to make this decision about who would serve as King's Equerry.
So, if I have all of this straight ... Jonny has served as Equerry, from March 2020 to March 2024, a total of four years. A year longer than normal. Of this four years, he served as King's Equerry from 8 September 2022, through the end of his own original three year secondment, and also served out the remaining time of the late Queen's former Equerry's. Complicated.
I hope I have all of this straight. Please let me know if I have something wrong!
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