King Charles has promoted his dashing, kilt-wearing aide, Lt Col Johnny Thompson, better known on social media as Major Eye Candy, to a “super equerry” role, meaning he will become the monarch’s “right-hand man.”
The good news for his legions of fans is that the promotion means that he and his chiseled jaw line, which have earned him the soubriquet of the Hot Equerry, will now be seen even more frequently alongside the king and queen.
The Sun said that Thompson, 40, was offered the new role, which will see him tasked with helping run Charles’ official business, as his current Army service was coming to an end, and Charles and Camilla wanted to find a way keep him on.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun quoted a source who said: “He is due to leave the Army within 18 months and with that his role as equerry. But by (Charles) taking him on in a super equerry role, people will be seeing a lot more of him.”
Thompson first caught the adoring attention of the internet at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral (he was previously one of her ceremonial bodyguards) and again at the king’s coronation.
Earlier this year, Major Eye Candy was listed third on a “Social Power Index” list compiled by society magazine Tatler, which wrote: “It is from within the palace walls that the king’s equerry wields his unique brand of quiet, charming power.”
Thompson was credited with saving the day when he acted on his own initiative to remove a pen tray which was getting in the king’s way when he signed the proclamation which named him king.
“The king’s pulling a decent trick by picking a social media sensation to be his right-hand man,” an insider told The Sun.
