Equerry

An equerry (/ɪˈkwɛri, ˈɛkwəri/; from French écurie 'stable', and related to écuyer 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a sovereign, a member of a royal family, or a national representative. The role is equivalent to an aide-de-camp, but the term is now prevalent only among some members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Australia

Australian equerries are

King of Australia, Governor General, state governors or to visiting foreign heads of state.^[1]

Canada

Canadian equerries are drawn from the commissioned officers of the

captain or naval lieutenant

.

New Zealand

New Zealand equerries are appointed to serve the

King of New Zealand only for the duration of a royal visit to the country, and are always drawn from the officers of the New Zealand Defence Force

, typically captains, flight lieutenants, and navy lieutenants.

Squadron Leader Leanne Woon of the Operational Support Squadron, part of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, was the equerry to the Queen of New Zealand during the most recent royal visit in 2002. She was the only woman to serve as an equerry to the monarch anywhere in the Commonwealth until the appointment of Captain Katherine Anderson Royal Artillery as the British Equerry to King Charles III in 2024.^[2] ^[3] Captain Sam Stevenson of the New Zealand Army served as equerry to the Duke of Cambridge during his 2005 visit to New Zealand.^[4] Squadron Leader Marcel 'Shagga' Scott of the Royal New Zealand Air Force served as equerry to HRH Prince Charles in November 2012. Squadron Leader Tim Costley of the Royal New Zealand Air Force

served as equerry to the Duke of Cambridge during the 2014 Royal visit to New Zealand by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George.

United Kingdom

In the UK equerries are appointed by working members of the

Royal family and are drawn from junior officers of the British Armed Forces (normally Captains or Majors). The role involves being in regular close attendance both within the royal residence and outside on public engagements.^[6]

The Royal Household also includes a number of "extra equerries" – honorary appointees drawn from among the current and retired senior officers of the

Royal Household

. They are comparatively rarely required for duty, but their attendance can be called upon if needed.

The Crown Equerry is in charge of the Royal Mews Department and holds a distinct office.

Equerries, Temporary Equerries and Extra Equerries are entitled to wear

cocked hat

(with red and white upright feathers) when on duty in full dress uniform.

Present-day

At the time of his accession to the throne, the household of Charles III included at least two equerries.^[8]

Individuals who have served as Equerry to the King include:

Years	Name	Regiment	Notes
2022–	Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan "Jonny" Thompson	Royal Regiment of Scotland

Those appointed as Extra Equerries by King Charles III (since the year 2022) include:

Vice Admiral Sir Tom Blackburn (former Master of the Household) in 2023^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford (former Comptroller, the Lord Chamberlain's Office) in 2023^[5]
Commodore Anthony Morrow (former commanding officer of HMY Britannia) in 2023^[5]
Admiral Sir George Zambellas (former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff) in 2023^[5]
Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin (former Adjutant-General to the Forces) in 2023^[5]
Lieutenant General Sir
Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man) in 2023^[5]

Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Johnstone-Burt (Master of the Household) in 2023^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Alexander Matheson of Matheson, Bt (Senior Gentleman Usher) in 2023^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon (Comptroller, the Lord Chamberlain's Office) in 2023^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave (Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood) in 2023^[5]
Sir Nicholas Bacon, 14th Baronet (former Page of Honour) in 2023^[5]
Commander
Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales) in 2023^[5]

Major General Arthur Denaro (former Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst) in 2023^[5]
Sir
Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales) in 2023^[5]

Ashe Windham (former Extra Equerry to The Queen Mother and to the Prince of Wales) in 2023^[5]

Other working members of the Royal Family can also appoint Equerries; in the case of more junior members the appointment might be combined with another post.^[6] Like the monarch, they may also appoint Extra Equerries.

Past

For most of her reign Queen

captain of the Coldstream Guards

, who provided part-time attendance, and who (when not required for duty) was assigned to regimental or staff duties.

On overseas tours to Commonwealth realms an equerry was often appointed from the local armed forces to serve for the duration of the tour.^[6]

At

her funeral, the late Queen's senior Equerry and junior Equerry, ten past Equerries and two Extra Equerries marched together as pallbearers (following a custom established by Queen Victoria);^[9] in this role (which is separate from that of the bearer party which carried the coffin) they walked immediately alongside the late Queen's coffin in each of the State funeral processions which took place in London and Windsor.^[8]

Individuals who served as equerry to Elizabeth II include:

Years	Name	Regiment	Notes
1952–1954	KCVO DSO^[10]	Royal Navy
1952–1953	CB^[10]	Coldstream Guards
1952–1953	CVO DSO DFC Bar^[10]	Royal Air Force
1952–1954	MVO^[11]	Royal Scots Greys
1952–1975	KCVO^[10]	Irish Guards	also Deputy Master of the Household (from 1954)
1952–1953	Wing Commander Peter Horsley, AFC	Royal Air Force
1953	Major Sepala Attygalle	1st Queen's Dragoon Guards
1954–1957	LVO	Royal Navy
1956–1959	LVO	Royal Tank Regiment	Temporary
c. 1959	Lieutenant-Commander P C D Campbell	Royal Navy
1958–1963	LVO^[12]	Royal Air Force	Temporary
c. 1964	Squadron Leader M J P Walmsley	Royal Air Force
1962–1965	LVO	Royal Navy	Temporary
1965–1968	LVO	1st Queen's Dragoon Guards
1968–1971	LVO	Royal Navy
1971–1974	LVO	Royal Air Force
1974–1977	MVO	Royal Artillery
1976–1994	KCVO	Scots Guards	also Deputy Master of the Household
1977–1980	MVO	Royal Navy
1980–1983	MBE	Royal Air Force
1983–1986	LVO	9th/12th Royal Lancers
1986–1989	KCVO	Royal Navy
1989–1992	MVO	Royal Air Force
1992–1995	MVO	Irish Guards
1994–1999	LVO	Royal Artillery	also Deputy Master of the Household
1995–1998	MVO	Royal Navy
1998–2001	MVO	Royal Air Force
1999–2023	KCVO	Welsh Guards	also Deputy Master of the Household
2001–2004	MVO	Coldstream Guards
2004–2007	MVO	Royal Navy
2007–2010	MBE	Royal Air Force
2010–2012	MVO	Royal Gurkha Rifles
2012–2015	MVO^[13]	Royal Navy
2015–2017	MVO	Royal Air Force
2017–2020	MVO	Blues and Royals
2020–2022	Lieutenant-Colonel Tom White MVO	Royal Marines^[14]
2022	Wing Commander Jay Berry	Royal Air Force	Selected but did not take up role due to demise. Served as Military Assistant to the Master of the Household 2022–2023

Those appointed by Elizabeth II as Extra Equerries (since the year 2000) included:

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave (Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood) in 2019^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon (then Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, now Comptroller, the Lord Chamberlain's Office) in 2015^[5]
Vice Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt (Master of the Household)^[15]
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Matheson, younger of Matheson (then Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, now Senior Gentleman Usher) in 2006^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford (Comptroller, the Lord Chamberlain's Office) in 2005^[5]
Air Vice Marshal David Walker (Master of the Household) in 2005^[5]
Group Captain Timothy Hewlett (Director of Royal Travel) in 2001^[5]
Vice Admiral Sir James Weatherall (former Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps) in 2001^[5]
Vice Admiral Tom Blackburn (Master of the Household) in 2000^[5]
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cartwright (Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood) in 2000^[5]

Senior courtiers often continued as Extra Equerries (or could be appointed to the position) after retirement; as such, they were sometimes called upon to represent the Queen e.g. at funerals or memorial services for former colleagues.^[5]

Other senior royals generally followed the Queen's pattern of appointing an equerry from one of the three armed services, in rotation; and of appointing a Temporary Equerry, often from a regiment with which they had personal links: e.g. the Duke of Edinburgh used to appoint a Temporary Equerry from the Grenadier Guards, the Queen Mother one from the Irish Guards, the Prince of Wales one from the Welsh Guards.^[6]

References

^ PACMAN Archived 12 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Chapter 10, Part 3, Australian Defence Force, retrieved 20 February 2012
^ "Meet King Charles's new eyes and ears: his first female equerry". The Times. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ "Transsexual MP greets the Queen as she lands in New Zealand" Archived 17 August 2004 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2002
^ "NZ envoy among diplomatic guests". NZ Herald. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z "Court Circular". The Royal Family.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah, eds. (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan. p. 176.
^ Army Dress Regulations, Part 10
^ ^a ^b "Queen's funeral: Full guide to the gun carriage and the main procession". BBC News. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
^ Bland, Olivia (1986). The Royal Way of Death. London: Constable.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Page 4198 | Supplement 39616, 1 August 1952 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.
The Queen
from 1952 to 1954.

HM The Queen

ISSN 0140-0460
. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

ISSN 0140-0460
. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

^ The Navy Directory 2019 (PDF). London: Ministry of Defence. 2020. p. 2.

Authority control databases: National

Germany

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Equerry&oldid=1217468545"

[1] PACMAN Archived 12 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Chapter 10, Part 3, Australian Defence Force, retrieved 20 February 2012

[2] "Meet King Charles's new eyes and ears: his first female equerry". The Times. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.

[3] "Transsexual MP greets the Queen as she lands in New Zealand" Archived 17 August 2004 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2002

[4] "NZ envoy among diplomatic guests". NZ Herald. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[auto-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z "Court Circular". The Royal Family.

[AllisonRiddell1991-6] Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah, eds. (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan. p. 176.

[7] Army Dress Regulations, Part 10

[BBCmainprocession-8] "Queen's funeral: Full guide to the gun carriage and the main procession". BBC News. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.

[Bland1986-9] Bland, Olivia (1986). The Royal Way of Death. London: Constable.

[LG1952-10] "Page 4198 | Supplement 39616, 1 August 1952 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.

[11] The Queen
from 1952 to 1954.

[12] HM The Queen

[13] ISSN 0140-0460
. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[14] ISSN 0140-0460
. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[15] The Navy Directory 2019 (PDF). London: Ministry of Defence. 2020. p. 2.

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