THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY -

LISTING OF ALL COLONELS

OF THE LIFE GUARDS

General The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE

Colonel - The Life Guards

General Lord Guthrie was born on 17 November 1938,
and was educated at Harrow School before entering
the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1957.

Two years later, he was commissioned into the Welsh Guards.
As a young officer, he served with the Welsh Guards
in the Middle East, Malaysia and in East Africa.

In 1970 he returned to the Welsh Guards, subsequently
commanding an armoured infantry company in Germany.
After a year as a student at the Staff College, he became
Assistant to the Head of the Army, the Chief of the General Staff,
in the Ministry of Defence.

From 1975-1977 he was the Brigade Major of
the Household Division, and from 1977-1980 he commanded
the Welsh Guards in Berlin and Northern Ireland.

He was appointed as a Colonel to the branch overseeing
operations worldwide, and - during his time there - briefly became
the Commander British Forces New Hebrides (Vanuatu),
and recaptured the island of Espirito Santo,
which had been taken over by insurgents.

In 1981 he was appointed Commander of the
4th Armoured Brigade in Munster, West Germany, following
which he was Chief of Staff, Headquarters 1st British Corps
in Bielefeld.

He became the General Officer Commanding the
2nd Infantry Division and North East District in 1985.

Then, in 1986 he became Colonel Commandant
of the Intelligence Corps.

After a further tour in the Ministry of Defence,
he became in succession the Commander of the 1st British Corps,
the Northern Army Group, and the British Army of the Rhine,
before becoming the Chief of the General Staff, and finally
the Chief of the Defence Staff (1997-2001).

He is Colonel of The Life Guards, Gold Stick to The Queen,
and Colonel Commandant of the SAS.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He is currently a Director of N M Rothschild & Sons Limited;

a Council Member of
The International Institute of Strategic Studies;

a Visiting Professor and Honorary Fellow
of King's College London University;

Chairman of the Trustees of
The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives;

a Member of the Steering Committee of
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He is President of the Army Benevolent Fund;

He is President of Action Research;

He is President of the Federation of London Youth Clubs;

He is a Governor of The Charterhouse, Clerkenwell.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He is married with two grown-up sons.
A keen sportsman, he played rugby for the Army.
Today he regularly rides and plays tennis.
He attends the opera as often as he can.

Historical Links

General Lord Guthrie has The Life Guards in his blood -
his family connected by marriage to:

Major General Sir Cecil Bingham GCVO KCMG, 1st Life Guards -
born 1884, died 1908

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Anstruther-Thompson, 2nd Life Guards -
born 1860, died 1925

How To Find Your Way Around This Page

Immediately below this panel you will find a comprehensive listing
of (all known) Colonels of the Regiments that have led to the single
Regiment known today as The Life Guards - dating from May 1660.

For listings of Colonels of each of
these Troops and Regiments,
please click on the links in the panels hereunder.

The First Troop of Life Guards

The Second Troop of Life Guards

May 1660 -

September 1668 -

November 1679 -

August 1685 -

April 1689 -

March 1699 -

July 1710 -

July 1713 -

May 1715 -

September 1721 -

July 1733 -

June 1737 -

August 1737 -

March 1766 -

December 1777 -

From the formation of the Troop until 1670,
the Troop was known as the Third Troop (Duke of Albermarle's).

In 1670 it became the Second, or Queen's Troop.

May 1660 -

February 1685 -

April 1689 -

January 1712 -

February 1715 -

May 1740 -

April 1742 -

October 1776 -

March 1782 -

From the formation of the Troop until 1670,
the Troop was known as the Second or Duke of York's Troop,
but was renamed in 1670 as the Third Troop, at which time
the Second Troop became the Queen's Troop.

The Troop was disbanded in December 1746.

May 1660 -

June 1665 -

August 1685 -

November 1688 -

April 1689 -

January 1692 -

March 1703 -

February 1715 -

June 1733 -

April 1745 -

The original Fourth Troop under Lord Dover was composed
mainly of Roman Catholics.

July 1686 -

January 1689 -

December 1660 -

January 1671 -

October 1678 -

May 1684 -

December 1688 -

May 1696 -

September 1703 -

January 1715 -

April 1719 -

March 1727 -

December 1740 -

April 1743 -

1663 -

June 1788 -

March 1789 -

December 1792 -

September 1829 -

February 1865 -

November 1888 -

November 1902 -

April 1907 -

March 1920 -

June 1788 -

August 1797 -

June 1843 -

March 1854 -

April 1863 -

September 1863 -

October 1876 -

January 1890 -

September 1900 -

April 1905 -

April 1907 -

February 1919 -

July 1922 -

June 1932 -

May 1936 -

April 1957 -

January 1965 -

August 1979 -

January 1999 -