King Charles III recently returned to London to resume in-person meetings, with his first being his weekly audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, however, some royal-watchers may have been disappointed to see the PM introduced to the monarch by a new equerry.
Major Jonathan Thompson, Charles's former equerry went viral on social media back in 2022 when many were surprised at how dashing the 40-year-old was when he introduced former Prime Minister Liz Truss to the monarch for their first meeting. In October 2023, Jonathan was transferred to a more office-facing role, but what do you know about the former military man?
Keep scrolling to learn more about the King Charles's dashing bodyguard and equerry...
Who is Jonathan Thompson?
Major Jonathan Thompson – known as 'Johnny' by his friends – serves with the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and he's worked with the Royal Family for years. When Charles succeeded his late mother to the crown, Jonathan was frequently seen by his side and he quickly caught the attention of eagle-eyed fans.
Dubbed 'Major Eye Candy', Major Jonathan became something of a social media sensation, with many commenting on his good looks and traditional uniform.
Jonathan was spotted escorting former Prime Minister Liz Truss to meet the King at Buckingham Palace on Friday 9 September 2022. He was also among the procession of Her Majesty's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has served in the British Army since 2006, prior to graduating from Aberystwyth University where he studied Economics, International Politics and Intelligence Studies.
What is Jonathan's new role?
In October 2023, Jonathan was promoted to be a "senior equerry" to the King, however, this is an office-based role with Jonathan now helping to organise the King's private affairs. The 40-year-old took up the role following a replacement for his previous role being found, and Buckingham Palace revealed such a replacement had been found when Charles met with the Prime Minister.
Who is the King's new equerry?
The King’s new equerry is Lieutenant Commander Will Thornton of the Fleet Air Arm, who made his formal debut in the role on Wednesday, and you can see him in action in the video below...
Did Prince Charles' bodyguard attend University with him?
Prior to his accession to the throne, Charles was protected by another agent – and there is a popular story that the royal's bodyguard was allowed to take the same exams as Charles after having sat in every one of his seminars and lectures. According to the website Quora, the story has been passed "down the generations" at the University, but just how accurate is the urban legend?
The security guard reportedly lived in college accommodation at Trinity College, and since the criteria of gaining a degree from a University includes 'keeping term' in the limits of Cambridge during term dates and passing the examinations, the bodyguard was eligible to take the exams as he met the criteria. As such, the story goes that he was permitted to sit the exam and passed with a 2:1, while Charles was awarded a more modest 2:2.
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However, the University of Cambridge's online magazine, Varsity, has debunked the myth, claiming that although Charles did have a bodyguard who stayed in a room at Trinity College and attended the same lectures as the Prince, he did not in fact take the exams.
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