Field Marshal The Lord Houghton of Richmond – Portrait Sitting

Captured at the London Studio – 10 October 2025
By Rory Lewis – Rory Lewis Non-Profit

On Friday, 10th October 2025, I had the privilege of welcoming Field Marshal The Lord Houghton of Richmond, GCB, CBE, DL back to my London studio for our second portrait sitting — the first having taken place in 2014, when he served as Chief of the Defence Staff. This latest session continues a remarkable photographic relationship spanning more than a decade and forms part of my long-term mission through Rory Lewis Non-Profit to capture and preserve the likenesses of all living Field Marshals for the historical record.

Field Marshal The Lord Houghton of Richmond – 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 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

Only a handful of Field Marshals remain today. With His Majesty The King’s appointment of two new holders of the rank in 2025 — both of whom I also had the honour to photograph — this portrait becomes part of a rare and significant visual archive documenting Britain’s highest military leadership.

Lord Houghton’s distinguished career reflects the evolution of the modern British Army. Commissioned into the Green Howards in 1974 after graduating from St Peter’s College, Oxford, he went on to command his battalion in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and later served as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq. His leadership culminated in his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff in 2013, overseeing the Armed Forces during a critical period of transition following the Afghanistan campaign.

Promoted to Field Marshal in June 2025, alongside his predecessor The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, Lord Houghton remains a figure of immense respect within the Armed Forces and the House of Lords, where he serves as a crossbench peer.

Our 2025 sitting sought to explore that evolution — from active command to elder statesmanship. The portrait captures not only the stature of a Field Marshal but also the calm wisdom of a man whose service has spanned war, reform, and ceremony. Rendered in my signature chiaroscuro style, the image emphasizes depth, restraint, and the gravity of leadership earned through experience.

To photograph Lord Houghton once again, now bearing the baton of Field Marshal, was to complete a narrative — one that began in uniformed service and continues in reflection and legacy. Through Rory Lewis Non-Profit, I aim to ensure that such stories endure, preserving for posterity the humanity and history behind the rank.

— Rory Lewis, Founder & Photographer, Rory Lewis Non-Profit