King Charles has approved the appointment of Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin Bathurst, KCVO, CBE, as the next Governor of Gibraltar, in succession to Vice Admiral Sir David Steel KBE, KStJ, DL.
Sir Benjamin will take up the post in in June 2024, with Sir David set to depart Gibraltar towards the end of May 2024.
Details of the ceremonial departure of the outgoing Governor and arrival of the incoming Governor will be published closer to the time, The Convent said in a statement on Monday confirming the appointment.
The new Governor arrives in Gibraltar having served most recently as the UK’s military representative to NATO and the EU.
Prior to his posting to the Rock, he is currently working in a voluntary capacity as Army Commissioner for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The appointment was welcomed by the Gibraltar Government, which noted the next Governor’s distinguished service record.
“I am certain the whole of Gibraltar will join His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar in extending the warmest of welcomes to Sir Ben and his family in June,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
BACKGROUND
Sir Benjamin is a graduate of the University of Bristol (BSc(Hons)) and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commissioning into the Welsh Guards in 1987.
He served as a Mechanised Infantry Platoon Commander in Germany, then Operations Officer in Belize before returning to Germany as Aide-de-Camp to Commander 1st (British) Corps.
He has served in three tours in Northern Ireland with the Ulster Defence Regiment in Belfast and with 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, commanding Number Three Company twice, in Ballykelly and in South Armagh. He also served with the United Nations in Bosnia in 1995.
He has done three staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence in London.
As a Major, he re-defined the UK’s land based anti-armour requirements.
As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was responsible for UK policy on NATO and assisted strategic planning for Iraq.
As a Colonel in 2006-2008, he ran Army Public Relations.
As a Brigadier, he commanded the Army’s Initial Training Group in 2010 before moving to the Army Headquarters as Director Training (Army) from 2011-2014, responsible for re-defining the Army’s individual and collective training.
He has completed three tours in Iraq. In 2003, he served in CJ5 Strategic Plans in the US Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Baghdad. In 2004, he commanded the Welsh Guards Battlegroup in Maysan on Operation TELIC 5. He returned to Baghdad again in 2009 as a Brigadier for a one year tour as Deputy Director CJ5, Multinational Force-Iraq.
In 2014-2015, he completed a one-year tour in Afghanistan as the UK National Contingent Commander for the draw down in Helmand and Kandahar and the establishment of the new Operation TORAL in Kabul. Concurrently, he served as the NATO ISAF/Resolute Support advisor to the Afghan Minister of Defence and the Minister of Interior in Kabul.
Before arriving in the NATO Headquarters as the UK Military Representative, he served for 3 years as the General Officer Commanding London District.
He was responsible for the first deployment of the military in London under Operation TEMPERER and for contingency planning for other Resilience operations.
He also delivered State Ceremonial for Her Majesty The Queen, including Trooping the Colour, State Visits including the President of the United States of America and other occasions, including Royal Weddings.
He has attended Division II at the Royal Military College of Science (1995), the Army Command and Staff Course (1996), the Higher Command and Staff Course (2007) and the Royal College of Defence Studies (2015). He has an MA from Cranfield University.
Sir Benjamin is married to Kate and they have two children, Emilia and Alexander.