Royal fans left swooning as handsome equerries are spotted during Scottish coronation celebration

Royal watchers have taken to social media to share their excitement after spotting royal equerries at the Scottish coronation celebration at Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh today.

A number of high profile royals are at the event, but some fans have suggested they are more excited by some of the lesser-known faces – notably Major Jonathan Thompson, Captain Ollie Plunket, and Lieutenant Commander Rob Dixon.

As equerries, they are officers of a royal household or court, who assist members of the royal family with their duties. The role, which is normally occupied by a senior officer from one of the armed services, is held for three years.

And these three men seem to have acquired their own fan bases, after being spotted at a number of major royal events, with one fan taking to Twitter to simply write ‘Ladies, the equerries’, while another described the men as ‘handsome’.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at these three popular equerries who have been the subject of numerous headlines as well as social media posts…

Some royal watchers took to social media to share their excitement at seeing the ‘handsome’ equerries during today’s event

Major Jonathan Thompson  

Major Jonathan Thompson, of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, won over admirers after being spotted at the Queen’s funeral last year – becoming an unlikely online heartthrob.

Then, as the handsome kilt-clad equerry stood between King Charles and the Pages of Honour during the historic Coronation in May, he once again left hearts racing.

The Army officer, 39, known to friends as ‘Johnny’ but dubbed on TikTok as ‘Major Eye Candy’, was once the Queen’s most senior bodyguard but now serves His Majesty and has been seen constantly at his side.

But outside of his royal duties, Major Thompson, from Northumberland, is a father-of-one and loving husband to his marketing manager wife Caroline. 

He and Caroline, 44, have been happily married since 2010 and welcomed their son in 2018. The couple, who currently live in Surrey, also has two black Labradors called Odin and Piper – a nod to Major Thompson’s military time in Scotland.

Royal fans across the globe were swooning after the King’s trusted official was spotted amongst the congregation at Westminster Abbey during the Coronation.

The ‘dashing’ equerry stood beside the monarch during the ceremony, which many social media users joked was ‘distracting’. ‘Must admit there were times when I was a bit distracted today,’ one tweeted. 

‘Major Jonathan Thompson is why we watch the coronation,’ another added. ‘Look at his beauty and his thick calves too.’ 

Major Jonathan Thompson (pictured), of the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, first won over admirers at the Queen’s funeral, and has since been spotted at more royal events

Other admirers also couldn’t help but point out the army officer’s striking good looks as another fan wrote: ‘Anyone else clocked the dashing chap in the kilt?’

The officer became an object of royal watchers’ affections last year after he was thrust front-and-centre at historic Royal events following the Queen’s death.

He was caught on camera calmly and coolly removing a pen tray which was cluttering the King’s desk, as Charles signed the Proclamation which named him as the new monarch.

He was also seen in the procession when the Queen’s coffin was escorted from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for the four days of lying in state. 

He greeted Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his trip to the UK back in February and escorted then-Prime Minister Liz Truss to meet the King at Buckingham Palace in October 2022.

His role as an equerry, an officer of the royal household who assists members of the royal family, involves assisting the King with his daily duties, standing beside him at public events and looking after the monarch’s carriages, coaches, and Rolls-Royces used at state ceremonies.

Major Thompson joined the Army in 2006 and is a Platoon commander, according to his LinkedIn. He is believed to have been working as an equerry with Charles for at least the last two years.

His profile also reveals how he attended Aberystwyth University where he graduated in 2004 with a degree in Economics and politics with international studies and he gave his hobbies and interests as rugby and mountaineering and he was also a member of the undergraduate officer training corps.

Captain Ollie Plunket 

The Duke of Gloucester (centre right) arriving for the ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in London, joined by Captain Ollie Plunket (left)

Another of the three favourite equerries is  Captain Ollie Plunket, the equerry to Queen Camilla.

A kinsman of the 9th Lord Plunket, Ollie attracted a lot of attention at the Princess of Wales’s carol service at Westminster Abbey in December.

When compared to fan favourite Major Thompson, he is a decade or so younger (at 28) – and, unlike Thompson, is unmarried.

As well as enjoying is sure to be an excited and varied role now, he also has some exciting adventures in his past. 

While still in his teens, Plunket, now an officer in The Rifles, embarked on a solo motorbike ride from Argentina to Alaska, covering 24,500 miles and raising more than £100,000 for wounded servicemen. 

There were some vivid experiences along the way. ‘He survived a rock fall,’ a friend told The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden.

Queen Camilla appointed Ollie as her first ever equerry last November, according to Grazia.

Lieutenant Commander Rob Dixon

Lieutenant Commander Rob Dixon was first spotted by royal watchers after accompanying the royals to the vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall in September last year

Prince William’s equerry, who also appears to be building a legion of fans thanks to his dashing looks, is a Royal Navy officer who’s worked for the Royal Household since September 2020, according to his LinkedIn.

Lieutenant Commander Rob Dixon was spotted by royal watchers after accompanying the royals to the vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on September 17, 2022 in London.

The military man, who attended Dr Challoner’s Grammar School in Amersham, followed by the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham, spent almost 22 years working for the Royal Navy.

His CV boasts an impressive list of roles, including Helicopter Instructor, and Wildcat HMA Mk2 Pilot.

While describing himself as ‘mostly operating as a leader’, he has noted that he also ‘operates well as part of the team’. 

In 2015, he was awarded a Green Endorsement, being commended for ‘the speed of thought, judgement and total professionalism with which he dealt with a compounding series of circumstances’.

Images snapped in July 2022 showed the equerry smiling as he attended a polo match in Surrey with Prince William.

Meanwhile an April 2021 snap showed him with the Princess of Wales during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.