🇬🇧Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie (1938–2025)

Field MarshalObituaries
Written By RORY LEWIS

A Tribute from Heroes in Focus

Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie (1938–2025)

On behalf of the Heroes in Focus Foundation, I wish to commemorate the life and service of Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, whom I had the honor to photograph for my archive in 2017. His passing on September 18, 2025, at the age of 86, marks the loss of one of Britain’s most consequential soldier-statesmen of the modern era. Lord Guthrie served with the Welsh Guards and the Special Air Service (SAS) before rising to Chief of the General Staff and ultimately Chief of the Defence Staff, advising prime ministers through pivotal operations in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, and Sierra Leone. Known for his clarity of judgment and plain-spoken counsel, he carried the weight of command with both resolve and humility.

The rank of Field Marshal remains the most senior in the British Army—a five-star designation awarded sparingly in recognition of extraordinary service. Its traditions are deeply symbolic, embodied in the crimson-velvet marshal’s baton, adorned with St George and the Dragon, and inscribed with the Sovereign’s name. This emblem of leadership and duty connects centuries of British military history, and Lord Guthrie was one of the very few in modern times to bear it.

When Lord Guthrie kindly agreed to a sitting in London, I approached the portrait as both a historic document and an artistic dialogue with tradition. Drawing inspiration from Sir Thomas Lawrence and John Singer Sargent, I set him against a deep red backdrop to echo the heritage of the Red Coat, using sculpting light to heighten the textures of his full ceremonial uniform, medals, and orders. Shot from a low vantage, he appears towering and resolute, the image conveying not just his stature but the immense respect he commanded throughout the Armed Forces.

Through Heroes in Focus, these portraits become more than images; they become records of history, preserving the legacies of those who have shaped our times. Capturing Lord Guthrie was my first portrait of a British Field Marshal, a defining moment in this mission, and a reminder of the enduring human presence behind the uniform.

Support & enquiries

If you would like to support this archival work or commission a portrait—military or civilian—please get in touch. Your backing helps us continue documenting the people who shape our shared history.

RORY LEWIS

Winner of the Portrait of Britain in 2017 and 2018. Lewis is a dedicated portrait photographer who has spent over a decade capturing many of the world’s most recognised faces. Sitters have included the likes of William Shatner, David Cameron, Sir Derek Jacobi, Iain Glen and Natalie Dormer. Rory’s images have been exhibited on both sides of the Atlantic, and several of his iconic portraits have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in London. His recent project, ‘Soldiery’, which documented the British Army of the 21st Century, was completed over a two year period and has been hailed as a national success story, named by the BBC as ‘The changing face of the British Army’. Rory divides his time between London and Los Angeles, working with a wide variety of clients. In addition to his projects and private portraits, his photography has been commissioned by Pepsi, Universal, the British Army, The Times, The Guardian and Cancer Research UK, among others. Rory draws immense inspiration from the masters of art including Hans Holbein the Younger, Titian, Caravaggio and Jusepe de Ribera.

http://www.rorylewis.studio
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