Rory Lewis Photographer Headshots & Portraiture

Patrons

The Rory Lewis Non-Profit / Heroes in Focus Inc. is supported by a small number of distinguished patrons whose experience, integrity, and service to the nation reflect the values at the heart of the organisation.

Our patrons provide guidance, encouragement, and moral support for a long-term photographic record dedicated to documenting those who serve — past and present — across the British Army and allied forces. Their involvement is ceremonial and advisory in nature, with no financial or governance obligations.

This work is undertaken independently, without public funding, and relies upon the goodwill and support of individuals and institutions who recognize the importance of preserving military heritage through serious portraiture and historical record.

FIELD MARSHAL THE LORD RICHARDS OF HERSTMONCEUX GCB CBE DSO DL

Honorary Military Patron

Field Marshal The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux is a retired senior British Army officer with more than four decades of distinguished service. Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1971, he served in the Far East, Germany, and on three tours in Northern Ireland, and went on to command the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, the 4th Armoured Brigade, and NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.

He commanded British forces in East Timor, for which he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and most notably in Sierra Leone, where his intervention helped secure Freetown during the country's civil war and earned him the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). As a four-star general he commanded the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during its expansion across the country, for which he was knighted Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) — the first operational knighthood awarded to a British officer since the Second World War. He subsequently served as Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces, as Chief of the General Staff — the professional head of the British Army — and from 2010 to 2013 as Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces.

Created a life peer in 2014, he sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher and was chosen to carry the Sword of Spiritual Justice at the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB), a Senior Adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the author of Taking Command, he was promoted to the honorary rank of Field Marshal in June 2025.

As an Honorary Military Patron, Field Marshal Lord Richards supports the mission of (Rory Lewis Non-Profit) Heroes in Focus Inc. to preserve an accurate and dignified visual record of military service through long-term portraiture.

FIELD MARSHAL THE LORD HOUGHTON OF RICHMOND GCB CBE DL

Honorary Military Patron

Field Marshal The Lord Houghton of Richmond is a retired senior British Army officer whose career spanned more than four decades. Commissioned into the Green Howards in 1974, he held command at every level, including the 1st Battalion, the Green Howards, and 39 Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland during the peace process that led to the Good Friday Agreement. Rory Lewis .INC'.

He led UK and allied forces through operations in Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan, serving as Deputy Commanding General of Multi-National Force-Iraq, as Chief of Joint Operations, and as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff. From 2013 to 2016 he served as Chief of the Defence Staff — the professional head of the Armed Forces and principal military adviser to the Prime Minister, overseeing the conclusion of combat operations in Afghanistan and the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. BusinessCloud + 2

He served as Constable of the Tower of London from 2016 to 2022, and was created a life peer in 2017, sitting in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. Appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and a Deputy Lieutenant, he was promoted to the honorary rank of Field Marshal in June 2025. Wikipedia + 2

As an Honorary Military Patron, Field Marshal Lord Houghton supports the mission of (Rory Lewis Non-Profit) Heroes in Focus Inc. to preserve an accurate and dignified visual record of military service through long-term portraiture.

GENERAL (RETD) SIR JAMES EVERARD KCB CBE

COLONEL, THE ROYAL LANCERS
(QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)

Honorary Military Patron

General Sir James Everard is a retired senior British Army officer with 38 years of distinguished service. Commissioned into the 17th/21st Lancers in 1983, he went on to command The Queen’s Royal Lancers, 20th Armoured Brigade, 3rd (UK) Division, and the UK Field Army.

His senior appointments included Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) in the UK Ministry of Defence and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) in NATO, where he also served as Commander of European Union military operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Since retiring from the Army in 2020, he continues to work with NATO as Lead Senior Mentor at Allied Command Operations and maintains a wider portfolio focused on modern deterrence, defence, and the future character of warfare. He is President of the Army Benevolent Fund and became Colonel of The Royal Lancers on 31 December 2024.

As an Honorary Military Patron, General Everard supports the mission of (Rory Lewis Non Profit) Heroes in Focus Inc. to preserve an accurate and dignified visual record of military service through long-term portraiture.