The King’s Admiral will resign from his role in the Royal Household and the Armed Forces. Buckingham Palace said today.
Lt. Col. Jonny Thompson, who serves as senior equerry for both King Charles III And Queen Camilleshall leave at the end of the year.
He plans to pursue a role in the private sector, the palace said, which means he will also leave the British Army after nearly 22 years of military service.
A spokesperson added: ‘Their Majesties were of course aware of this plan in advance, and I know they are very grateful to Jonny for his support over the last seven years and wish him all the best for the future.’
Thompson, from the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, is from Morpeth in Northumberland.
He joined the British Army in 2005 and was deployed there Iraq And Afghanistan in 2006, 2009 and 2011.
After his tours, he became one of Queen Elizabeth II’s most senior bodyguards and was pictured with her at Balmoral.
He became equerry to Charles and Camilla in their roles as Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in December 2019.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Thompson, pictured in Westminster Abbey in 2023, served in the Middle East before becoming an essential part of the Royal Household in his role as the monarch’s right-hand man
Thompson, pictured with his wife Olivia Lewis, from the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, is from Morpeth in Northumberland
King Charles III inspecting the 5th Battalion of Balaklava Company together with Thompson at Balmoral in 2023
Thompson, pictured at the coronation of King Charles III, has announced his intention to step down as the monarch’s equerry
After his tours, Thompson became one of Queen Elizabeth II’s most senior bodyguards and was often pictured with her at Balmoral.
He remained by Charles’ side when he became king following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and was seen proudly beside him at his coronation in Westminster Abbey, walking behind Prince George and another of His Majesty’s Pages of Honor as they followed the ceremonial procession.
It was around this time that he also caught the attention of royal fans, thanks to his dashing looks, which earned him a number of nicknames.
But to the disappointment of many, it turned out that he was already married and had been since 2010, although the marriage ended in 2022.
Thompson was promoted to the role of ‘senior equerry’ – effectively serving as the monarch’s right-hand man – in October 2023.
Reports at the time suggested that he was “uncomfortable” with the attention he was receiving from admirers online, and that he took the promotion to be more behind the scenes.
Thompson enjoys so much trust from the royal couple that he accompanied them on their state visit to the US in April this year.
He was also at their side on Christmas Day in 2024, which the royal family traditionally spent at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
An online CV shows he studied a BA in International Politics at Aberystwyth University, and later a Masters in Military and Security Studies at King’s College London.
Thompson and his wife Olivia attended Royal Ascot in June, where they chatted with Zara and Mike Tindall
Thompson is pictured with King Charles III on the day of his coronation in May 2023, as the monarch hands over his ceremonial St. Edward’s Staff
Thompson holds an umbrella to keep King Charles dry on a rainy September day in Paris in 2023
The coronation at Westminster Abbey, where Thompson walked behind Prince George and another of His Majesty’s Pages of Honor as they followed the ceremonial procession
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He attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst from 2005 to 2006 and has since served in the British Army.
Thompson married his first wife Caroline in 2010, with whom he had a son. They later divorced, and he married his second wife, PR director Olivia Lewis, in a ‘low-key’ ceremony in May 2025. The couple now have one child together, a daughter named Theodora who was born in May.
The kilt-wearing army officer is said to have met Olivia, 35, while working for Charles and Camilla. Her father, Simon Lewis OBE, worked as communications secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth.
His departure marks the third senior aide to leave the king in recent months, after private secretary Sir Clive Alderton announced he will leave next year and Bernie Flannery, the king’s long-time butler, resigned after more than four decades.
