A Royal Collection Acquisition: Field Marshal The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux

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London Studio — 6 October 2025 RCIN 2119736

I am honoured to share that my portrait of Field Marshal The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, GCB, CBE, DSO, DL, has been accepted into the Royal Collection, completing the thirteen works from my non-profit archive now held within that institution.

Lord Richards — appointed Honorary Field Marshal by His Majesty The King in June 2025 — sat for the archive on Monday, 6 October 2025. His career traces the arc of Britain's modern military story: from early service in the Royal Artillery, through his decisive command in Sierra Leone, to command of ISAF in Afghanistan and his tenure as Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the Armed Forces. His leadership during the Sierra Leone campaign helped avert catastrophe and save countless lives, cementing his reputation as one of Britain's most capable and compassionate commanders.

A Royal Collection Acquisition: Field Marshal The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux (Rory Lewis Photographer 2026)

For this portrait I employed restrained, sculptural lighting — chiaroscuro influenced by Caravaggio — to draw attention to character and command. The intention was simplicity with weight: to let presence speak, to honour service over spectacle, and to place Lord Richards within a lineage that stretches from the campaign portraits of old to contemporary service at the very summit of command. In due course he and Lord Houghton will receive a baton of red velvet topped by St George slaying the dragon, inscribed with their names and that of the King.

This portrait exists thanks to the supporters of the Rory Lewis Non-Profit. Your donations cover the printing and production of these archival works and their gift, without fee, to permanent collections — and they are what allow me to continue this work with serving personnel and veterans. To support the archive, please visit rorylewis.studio/non-profit.

More of my work can be seen on my portraits page. Read more about Lord Richards on Wikipedia.

Field Marshal Lord Richards — Portrait Sitting — Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765. Contributions are tax-deductible for US taxpayers to the extent allowed by law.