Hand in hand, King’s dashing equerry and his new love – a PR exec who used to work for Charles
HE IS normally seen in public in kilt and uniform, just a few steps behind the King.
But yesterday Charles’s dashing equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, was dressed down in a hoodie and trainers – and strolling along a London street with his new love.
Despite acquiring an army of female fans at the Coronation, the 40-year-old soldier only had eyes for Olivia Lewis, 33, a well-connected PR executive, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The couple have been together for a year and are said to be ‘well matched and very happy’.
Last year Thompson received the seal of approval from society bible Tatler, which placed him third on its annual Social Power Index list.
The magazine wrote: ‘It is from within the Palace walls that the King’s equerry wields his unique brand of quiet, charming power.’
Not short on Royal connections herself, Ms Lewis met Thompson – whose marriage ended nearly two years ago – while working for Charles and Camilla.
Her father is Simon Lewis, once the Queen’s communications supremo and the man credited with ‘rescuing’ her reputation in the period following the death of Princess Diana. Switching from the Palace to No10, he became former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s spin doctor.
Olivia’s uncle is ex-Daily Telegraph editor Sir Will Lewis, now publisher and chief executive of the Washington Post.
Following his appearance at the Coronation and other high-profile engagements,
Thompson set social media ablaze and was dubbed ‘Major Eye Candy’ and the ‘Hot Equerry’.
Popular, too, with the King and Queen, he was promoted last year and has become Charles’s right-hand man or ‘super equerry’. He joined them at the front of the Royal Family procession into church at Sandringham on Christmas Day. From now on, though, his role will be more office-based, meaning he will be seen less in public as he helps organise the King’s private affairs.
He serves with the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the decision to extend his secondment from the Army to enable him to remain with the Royal Household was considered an indication of how highly he is valued.
He once recalled an invitation from the late Queen at Balmoral, telling the BBC: ‘One evening, myself and my wife, we were invited to one of the bothies (huts) on the estates to dine with Her Majesty.
‘She straight away would start making the salad dressing, setting the table and the night culminated with me doing the washing up alongside her, which is a lovely memory.’
Thompson was previously married to a marketing manager, who is 12 years older than London-based Ms Lewis. They married in 2010 and lived in at least seven homes because of his Army career.
‘They are well matched and very happy together’