🇬🇧 Remembering Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank 1928-2025

Among the most meaningful moments in my non-profit archive was the privilege of photographing Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank. It was not simply a portrait sitting, but an encounter with a man whose life spanned the defining military and political chapters of modern Britain.

Remembering Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank 1928-2025 (Rory Lewis Photographer)

The rank of Field Marshal remains the most senior in the British Army—a five-star distinction first instituted in 1736. It is bestowed sparingly, carrying centuries of tradition, symbolism, and responsibility. In 2017, when I wrote to the few living Field Marshals with the hope of documenting their likeness for posterity, Lord Guthrie graciously agreed to sit for a portrait in London. I remain deeply grateful for that generosity.

Lord Guthrie’s service career was formidable. Commissioned into the Welsh Guards after Sandhurst, he went on to serve with the SAS and held senior command during operations in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, and beyond. As Chief of the General Staff and later Chief of the Defence Staff, he stood at the centre of British military decision-making during the late 1990s—a period marked by Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and the reshaping of Britain’s armed forces in the post-Cold War world. In 2012, he was formally awarded the Field Marshal’s baton by Queen Elizabeth II.

The baton itself—an ancient emblem of command—has origins in Roman tradition and remains one of the most potent symbols of military authority. Crafted in red velvet and adorned with St George slaying the dragon, it is inscribed by the Sovereign and represents duty, honour, and the weight of command carried at the highest level.

In approaching Lord Guthrie’s portrait, I drew consciously on the lineage of great military portraiture—from Sir Thomas Lawrence’s Wellington to the early photographic studies of Alexander Bassano. I chose a deep red velvet backdrop, echoing the heritage of the Red Coat, and sculptural, directional light to render every detail of uniform, medal, and bearing. This was not an image designed to flatter, but to endure.

Photographed from a low angle, Lord Guthrie stands resolute and commanding, yet reflective. What struck me most was the balance between authority and humanity—an unmistakable presence shaped by decades of service, responsibility, and difficult decisions.

Through my non-profit work, portraits such as this exist not merely as images, but as historical records—visual testimonies to leadership, service, and the individuals who have shaped our collective history. This sitting marked my first portrait of a British Field Marshal, and it remains a defining moment in my ongoing mission to document the intersection of history, duty, and the human spirit.

Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank
17 November 1938 – 18 September 2025

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