King Charles's equerry Jonny Thompson to leave role

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Lt Col Thompson will leave his role in the Royal Household and the Armed Forces at the end of the year, after 22 years of military service.

He plans to pursue a role in the private sector, the Palace said.

A Palace spokesperson added: "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."

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Lt Col Thompson joined the British Army in 2005 and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006, 2009 and 2011.

Following his tours, he became one of Queen Elizabeth II's most senior bodyguards.

He became equerry to Charles and Camilla in their roles as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in 2019.

He remained by Charles' side when he became King following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

He was promoted to senior equerry, effectively serving as the King's right-hand man, in October 2023.

Lt Col Thompson gained a female fan following after being pictured alongside the royals.

Royal fans regularly shared his image online, asking who he was, before he was affectionately dubbed the “hot equerry”.

Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart posted praise and a picture of the equerry after the state visit ended, saying on her Instagram account: “Can’t believe I got this close to the ‘hot equerry’…”

She appeared to have met the officer during a New York event celebrating the work of the King’s Trust and showcasing the UK’s cultural impact on the city.

The businesswoman added: “We actually spoke while waiting for King Charles to get to us for a few words. Totally charming, completely cool. Exceedingly handsome.”