Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank (1938-2025)
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Henry W
colinp
Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, Chief of the Defence Staff and Blair confidant
‘Probably the last British officer to have had a spear thrown at him in anger’, he became a vocal critic of defence ‘penny-pinching’
Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, who has died aged 86, was widely regarded as a particularly astute and successful head of the Army and later of the armed forces; however, his willingness to engage in politics, and to make his opinions known publicly, contributed to increasing tensions during his tenure between the military and Whitehall.
As Chief of the General Staff (CGS) from 1994, Guthrie advised John Major’s government during the Bosnian conflict. The “Buggins’s turn” principle of rotating the office through the three services meant that Guthrie did not expect to succeed his fellow soldier Peter Inge as Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), but he so impressed the Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo, that he was appointed to the post in 1997 [….]
Charles Ronald Llewelyn Guthrie was born on November 17 1938, to Ronald Guthrie, a businessman, and his wife Nina, née Llewelyn. Educated at Harrow, he was a schoolboy international at rugby and subsequently played for the Army. At Sandhurst, cadets were not allowed to keep cars but he kept one, a Ford Anglia, hidden in the woods. Getting back late at night was a problem because the grounds were patrolled by Royal Military Police. Having evaded the dogs and their handlers, he used to climb up to his first-floor room using the foot holes in the brickwork.
In 1959 he was commissioned into the Welsh Guards and posted to the 1st Battalion (1 WG) in BAOR. He returned to England with the Battalion and became adjutant. During this time, he had a walk-on part at Covent Garden in a production of Moses and Aaron and was a keen opera-goer for the rest of his life[….]
After retiring from the Army in 2001, Guthrie served as a crossbench member of the House of Lords until 2020. He was also a non-executive director of a number of companies including NM Rothschild & Sons and took an active part in a number of charities.
Guthrie was promoted to Field Marshal in 2012. He was ADC General to the Queen from 1993 to 2001; Colonel Commandant Intelligence Corps from 1986 to 1995; Colonel of the Life Guards and Gold Stick to the Queen from 1999 to 2019; and from 2000 to 2009 Colonel Commandant SAS Regiment. He was a Knight of Malta and a Freeman of the City of London.
Charles Guthrie was appointed LVO in 1977 and OBE in 1980. Knighted in 1990, he was appointed GCB in 1994. He listed his recreations as tennis, opera and travel. In 2007 he published Just War, a monograph co-written with Sir Michael Quinlan on the ethics of conflict.
He married, in 1971, Catherine (Kate) Worrall, the daughter of a colonel in the Coldstream Guards, who was appointed OBE in 2010 for her own work with SSAFA. Lady Guthrie died in 2022; their two sons survive him.
Lord Guthrie, born November 17 1938, died September 18 2025
colinp
bx...@yahoo.com
Richard R
From the Times of 2 Oct 2025: CHARLES GUTHRIE Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB, GCVO, OBE, died on 18th September 2025, aged 86. Notification is given of the Military Funeral on 15th October 25 in central London. For those that have not been already contacted from the many organisations associated with Lord Guthrie but who knew him and would like to apply to apply to attend, please contact […] by 5pm on Sunday 5th October. Please do not contact this email if you have already submitted a request to attend form or if you have been in contact with another organisation that is collating attendance. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Welsh Guards Charity… or the Alzheimer’s Society…
S R Eglesfield
Richard R
The King was represented by General Sir Roland Walker (Chief of the General Staff) at the Funeral of Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank (former Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff) which was held in Westminster Cathedral, London SW1, this afternoon.
The Queen was represented by Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall.
The Prince of Wales was represented by Mr James Benbow.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were represented by Brigadier John Smedley.
The Princess Royal was represented by Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were represented by Major General Sir Christopher Ghika.
The Duke of Kent, Field Marshal, was present at the Funeral of Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank (former Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff) which was held in Westminster Cathedral, London SW1, this afternoon.Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy was represented by Mrs Diane Duke.
BREMENMURRAY
Henry W
Buckingham Palace
The King was represented by Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin Bathurst (Governor of Gibraltar) at the Memorial Service for Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank (former Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff) which was held at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London SW1, this afternoon.
The Queen was represented by Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall.
The Princess Royal was represented by Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles.