For years, Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson worked largely away from public attention as part of the security and support operation surrounding Britain’s royal family. That changed dramatically during the final years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, when his regular presence at the monarch’s side made him increasingly familiar to the public.
Thompson, a Scottish soldier who served with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, became one of Queen Elizabeth II’s senior bodyguards before later moving into a senior role within the household of King Charles III. His career illustrates the often discreet relationship between Britain’s armed forces and the modern monarchy.
Thompson joined the British Army in 2006 after studying economics and politics with international studies at Aberystwyth University. He subsequently developed a career in the military before being assigned duties within the Royal Household. The role placed him in close proximity to the Queen during official engagements and periods of heightened ceremonial activity.
His responsibilities were considerably broader than simply accompanying the monarch. Royal protection and military support require detailed planning, coordination and an understanding of protocol, logistics and security. Thompson’s appearances alongside Queen Elizabeth therefore reflected a professional position that traditionally attracts little public attention.
That changed during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Thompson was repeatedly photographed accompanying the monarch, bringing greater public awareness of the officer who had spent years working behind the scenes.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022, Thompson continued his career within the Royal Household. He became an equerry to King Charles III and subsequently served in a more senior capacity as Super Equerry.
The transition demonstrated the continuity that exists between the households of the late Queen and the new King. Thompson was involved in major royal occasions following Elizabeth’s death, including the arrangements surrounding the transition to Charles’s reign and the King’s coronation.
His public profile, however, grew for reasons unrelated to his official responsibilities. Photographs of Thompson wearing the kilt at major royal events generated substantial attention online, with sections of social media turning the relatively private military officer into an unexpected public figure.
The attention was unusual for someone whose professional role depended on remaining largely in the background. Reports have indicated that Thompson subsequently reduced his public exposure while continuing to perform senior duties within the Royal Household.
Thompson’s story is therefore less about celebrity than it is about the changing visibility of people who work around the British monarchy. For decades, royal protection officers and equerries have operated largely outside public view. The growth of social media and the constant circulation of photographs from royal engagements have made that separation increasingly difficult to maintain.
His career also provides a glimpse into the institutional continuity surrounding the monarchy. Having served Queen Elizabeth II and later King Charles III, Thompson represents a generation of military personnel whose professional lives have intersected with one of the most enduring institutions in British public life.
For Queen Elizabeth, whose reign lasted more than seven decades, such officers were part of the extensive network of staff, military personnel and protection teams that enabled her to carry out thousands of public engagements while maintaining the security and privacy required of a head of state.
Thompson’s visibility may have come unexpectedly, but his underlying role remained one rooted in duty rather than celebrity — a distinction that has defined much of the work carried out around the British sovereign.
Johnny Thompson: The Army Officer Who Became One of Queen Elizabeth II’s Senior Bodyguards
