“Major Eye Candy” charmed hearts on social media during the surprise appearance
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Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, equerry to King Charles, attends Easter church on March 31, 2024
King Charles’ dashing equerry Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson made a rare appearance with the royals on Easter.
On Sunday, the senior royal aide was spotted at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the Easter Mattins Service, which was attended by King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family on Sunday. Thompson was briefly photographed outside the chapel, where he wore a suit in lieu of his regiment’s kilt that he’s often sported in the past, and several fans on X declared it was “good to see him.”
“What a treat! We haven’t seen him for a while!” one wrote.
While King Charles’ attendance at the Easter church service marked his most significant public appearance since beginning cancer treatment, it also marked Thompson’s first major appearance since he transitioned into a less public role after becoming a viral sensation.
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Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, equerry to King Charles, attends Easter church on March 31, 2024
Related: King Charles’ ‘Hot Equerry’ Shifts Role Out of Public Eye Following Online Frenzy
The buzz around Thompson, 40, began in September 2022, when footage of the suit-clad soldier walking through the gates of Buckingham Palace went viral on TikTok with over 8.6 million views.
“I saw ‘Major eye candy,’ ” blogger U.K. Travel captioned the clip of Thompson seemingly on his way to work, and the nickname stuck.
In late February, The Times reported that the aide famed as “the hot equerry” started a new job for King Charles and Queen Camilla following the online frenzy. A palace source told the outlet that Thompson “remains senior equerry to the King and the Queen, in a more executive and less public-facing role.” The dedicated equerry is “understood not to have enjoyed the public attention he received after attending several high-profile events with the King.”
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Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson attends the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 13, 2023 in London.
Thompson is a member of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and may have been familiar to royal watchers for his appearances with Queen Elizabeth. He initially stepped into the spotlight in the summer of 2018, when he escorted the Queen for a battalion review at Balmoral Castle.
He rose through the ranks to become her most senior bodyguard and upon her death at age 96, was promoted to Super Equerry to her eldest son and successor King Charles, Tatler reported.
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Queen Elizabeth and Major Johnny Thompson at the gates of Balmoral in 2018.
Related: King Charles Addresses Cancer Concerns During Surprise Easter Walkabout: ‘I’m Doing My Best’
Thompson was by King Charles’ side for some of the most major events during the first year of his reign, including greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Buckingham Palace in February 2023, joining the King and Queen for their first state visit abroad that March and playing a prominent role during their May 6 coronation at Westminster Abbey.
The equerry memorably kept a watchful eye over Prince George and King Charles’ other three Pages of Honor at the crowning ceremony as they carried his robes, and a video of Thompson assisting the monarch at Westminster Abbey was viewed over 115,000 times on X.
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Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson stands with King Charles’ pages, including Prince George, at the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 2023.
Since coronation day, Thompson helped welcome U.S. President Joe Biden to Windsor Castle in July, joined the King and Queen for their state visit to France in September and escorted the royals to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at Sandringham on Christmas.
While fans might be seeing less of the equerry since he started his new job, he is reportedly seeing someone special! In February, Thompson was photographed holding hands in London with Olivia Lewis, a PR exec he reportedly met while working for the King and Queen.
The Daily Mail reported that Thompson and his wife separated nearly two years ago, adding that he and Lewis are said to be “well matched and very happy.”
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Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt and Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson attend Royal Ascot 2023 on June 20, 2023
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Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
