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 in the Commonwealth of Nations.

Australia

Australian equerries are commissioned officers in the Australian Defence Force, appointed on an ad hoc basis to the Queen 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 Canadian Armed Forces, and are most frequently appointed to serve visiting members of the Canadian Royal Family. The equerry appointed for the Queen of Canada is a senior officer, typically a major or a lieutenant-commander, while the equerry appointed for a child of the monarch is a junior officer, typically a captain or naval lieutenant.

Canadian equerries are also sometimes appointed to serve national representatives of the country. Colonel the Hon Henry Jackman of The Governor General's Horse Guards, Canada's Household Cavalry regiment, is the equerry to Akaash Maharaj, in the latter's role as head of UNICEF Team Canada.[2]

New Zealand

New Zealand equerries are appointed to serve the Queen 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 is the only woman to serve as an equerry to the monarch anywhere in the Commonwealth.[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

British equerries are appointed only to senior members of the British Royal Family and are drawn only from senior officers of the British Armed Forces.

There are three equerries to the Queen of the United Kingdom, at least one of whom is in attendance on the sovereign on a daily basis. For some years the Queen's senior equerry has also held the position of Deputy Master of the Household.

  • The Queen's permanent equerry is an officer of OF3-OF4 (Maj-Lt Col) rank or equivalent, recruited in turn from the three services of the British Armed Forces. Many previous equerries have gone on to reach higher rank.
  • The Queen's temporary equerry is a captain of the Coldstream Guards, who provides part-time attendance. When not required for duty, an equerry has additional regimental or staff duties. Senior members of the British Royal Family each also have one or two equerries.
  • The Crown Equerry is in charge of the Royal Mews Department and holds a distinct office.

The Royal Household also includes a number of "extra equerries" – usually retired senior officers with some connection to the Royal Household. The extra equerries are rarely if ever required for duty.

Equerries to the British monarch

Individuals who have served as equerry to the monarch of the United Kingdom include:

YearsNameRegimentNotes
1874–1893Major General Sir John Carstairs McNeill[5]
1893–1910Captain the Hon. Sir Seymour John FortescueRoyal NavyBrother of the Hon. Sir John William Fortescue[6]
1910–1936Captain Sir Bryan Godfrey-FaussettRoyal Navy
 ?-1936Lt Col John Derrick Hignett10th Hussars
1936–1954Captain Sir Harold Campbell, KCVO DSORoyal Navy
1944-1953Group Captain Peter Townsend, CVO DSO DFC BarRoyal Air Force
1950–1954Captain Viscount Althorp, MVO[7]Royal Scots Greys
1952–1953Wing Commander Peter Horsley, AFCRoyal Air Force
1953Major Sepala Attygalle1st Queen's Dragoon Guards
1954–1957Lieutenant-Commander David Loram, LVORoyal Navy
1954–1975Lieutenant-Colonel The Lord Plunket, KCVOIrish Guards
1956–1959Captain Richard Vickers, LVORoyal Tank RegimentTemporary
c. 1959Lieutenant-Commander P C D CampbellRoyal Navy
1958–1963Squadron Leader Henton Sylvester Carver, CBE LVO[8]Royal Air ForceTemporary
c. 1964Squadron Leader M J P WalmsleyRoyal Air Force
1962-1965Lieutenant-Commander John Garnier, LVORoyal NavyTemporary
1965–1968Major Charles Howard, LVO1st Queen's Dragoon Guards
1968–1971Lieutenant-Commander Jock Slater, LVORoyal Navy
1971–1974Squadron Leader Peter Beer, LVORoyal Air Force
1974–1977Major G R S Broke, MVORoyal Artillery
1976–1994Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Blair Stewart-Wilson, KCVOScots Guards
1977–1980Lieutenant-Commander Robert Guy, MVORoyal Navy
1980–1983Squadron Leader Adam Wise, LVO MBERoyal Air Force
1983–1986Major Hugh Lindsay, LVO9th/12th Royal Lancers
1986–1989Lieutenant-Commander Sir Timothy Laurence, KCVORoyal Navy
1989–1992Squadron Leader David Walker, OBE MVORoyal Air Force
1992–1995Major James Patrick, MVOIrish Guards
1994–1999Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Guy Acland, Bt LVORoyal Artillery
1995–1998Lieutenant-Commander Toby Williamson, MVORoyal Navy
1998–2001Squadron Leader Simon Brailsford, MVORoyal Air Force
1999–presentLieutenant-Colonel Anthony Charles Richards, CVOWelsh Guards
2001–2004Major James Duckworth-Chad, MVOColdstream Guards
2004–2007Commander Heber Ackland, MVORoyal Navy
2010–2012Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rex, MVORoyal Gurkha Rifles
2012–2015Lieutenant Commander Andrew Canale, MVO[9]Royal Navy
2015–2017Wing Commander Samuel P. Fletcher, MVORoyal Air Force
2017–2020Lieutenant-Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, MVOBlues and Royals
2020Major Tom WhiteRoyal Marines[10]

See also

References
  1. PACMAN Archived 12 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Chapter 10, Part 3, Australian Defence Force, retrieved 20 February 2012
  2. "He Lives by the Sword", Globe and Mail, 17 February 2007
  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.
  5. Mennell, Philip (1892). "McNeill, Major-General Sir John Carstairs" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
  6. "The Crown". Time. 27 May 1929. Archived from the original on 16 August 2009. Sir John's brother, Capt. Hon. Sir Seymour Fortescue, equerry-in-waiting to King George since 1893, author of a book of memoirs, Looking Back.
  7. Royal Household of Buckingham Palace. "Diana, Princess of Wales biography". Royal.gov.uk, the official website of the British Monarchy. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Earl Spencer was Equerry to George VI from 1950 to 1952, and to The Queen from 1952 to 1954.
  8. Jever Steam Laundry. "Air Commodore Henten Sylvester (Tony) Carver CBE, LVO". www.rafjever.org, Jever Steam Laundry promotes the irreverent camaraderie that epitomised No 122 Wing at RAF Jever. Tony was then OC DFCS as Sqn Ldr until November 1958 when he was selected for a long tour as Equerry to HM The Queen
  9. "Court Circular: August 20 2012". The Times. 20 August 2012. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  10. Nikkhah, Roya (Royal Correspondent) (15 November 2020). "Royal Marines buoyed to see officer land in palace as Queen's equerry". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
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