Major-General commanding the Household Division

The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the Household Division of the British Army and is also the General Officer Commanding London District. In British Army parlance, "The Major-General" always refers to the Major-General commanding the Household Division. The Major-General has sole responsibility for the Service aspect of all State and ceremonial occasions within London District. The office holds executive command of the Household Division and of any other units brought into London for providing military security to the Sovereign, the Royal Palaces as well as for ceremonial purposes and is the main channel of communication between the Household Division and the Monarch. He or she is appointed by The Sovereign, and will previously have commanded a Regiment or Battalion within the Household Division.

Major General Commanding the Household Division
Incumbent Major General James Bowder since September 2023
British Army London District
Style	Major General
Abbreviation	MGHD
Reports to	The Monarch
Seat	Horse Guards
Nominator	Defence Services Secretary
Appointer	The Monarch
Term length	3-4 Years
Unofficial names	General Officer Commanding London District

Badge of the Household Division

Edward Smyth-Osbourne in the full-dress uniform of a Major-General, on duty at the State Opening of Parliament in 2015

History

The appointment dates from 14 July 1856, when an order was issued conveying the news that 'Her Majesty has been pleased to appoint Major-General Lord Rokeby, KCB, to serve on the Staff of the army, with a view to his exercising a general supervision over the Battalions [of Guards] in England, including those at Aldershot; all communications having reference to the Brigade of Guards will be addressed to him in future, instead of the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting as heretofore'.

When the Home District (the forerunner of London District) was created in 1870, it too was placed under the authority of the Major-General, an arrangement which has remained in place ever since.

Staff

The Major General's Staff include the Chief of Staff London District, who deputises in the Major-General's absence, and the principal staff officer of the Household Division (known by his historic title of Brigade Major), who assists the Major General and is 'responsible to the Major General for the day to day running of the Public Duties and Household Division matters worldwide'.

List of Commanders

The holders of this office include:

Commanding Home District

• General The Duke of Cambridge 1804–

Major-General Commanding the Brigade of Guards (1856–1870)

Before 1856, orders for the Foot Guards were communicated to the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, a rotational appointment.

• Major-General Lord Rokeby KCB 1856–1861
• Major-General James Robertson Craufurd 1861–1863
• Major-General Lord Frederick Paulet 1863–1867
• Major-General the Hon. James Alexander Lindsay 1867–1868
• Major-General Frederick William Hamilton CB 1868–1870

Major-General Commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding Home District (1870–1906)

• Major-General Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar KP GCB GCH GCVO 1870–1876 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Frederick Stephenson GCB 1876–1879 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir George Higginson GCB GCVO 1879–1884 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Reginald Gipps GCB 1884–1889 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Philip Smith CB 1889–1892 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General The Lord Methuen GCB GCMG GCVO 1892–1897 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Henry Trotter GCVO 1897–1903 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Laurence Oliphant, KCVO 1903–1906 late Grenadier Guards

Major-General Commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding London District (1906–1950)

• Major-General Sir Frederick Stopford, KCVO CB 1906–1909 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Alfred Codrington, GCVO KCB 1909–1913 late Coldstream Guards
• Lieutenant-General Sir Francis Lloyd GCVO KCB DSO 1913–1918 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Geoffrey Feilding KCB KCVO CMG DSO 1918–1920 late Coldstream Guards
• Major-General Sir George Jeffreys KCVO CB CMG 1920–1924 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Lord Ruthven of Freeland, CB CMG DSO 1924–1928 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Charles Corkran, KCVO CB CMG 1928–1932 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Albemarle Cator, CB DSO April – November 1932 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Charles Grant, KCB KCVO DSO 1932–1934 late Coldstream Guards
• Major-General Sir Bertram Sergison-Brooke, KCB KCVO CMG DSO 1934–1938 late Grenadier Guards
• Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Thorne, KCB CMG DSO 1938–1939 late Grenadier Guards
• Lieutenant-General Sir Bertram Sergison-Brooke, KCB KCVO CMG DSO 1939–1942 late Grenadier Guards
• Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Smith, KCB KBE DSO MC 1942–1944 late Coldstream Guards
• Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Loyd, GCVO KCB DSO MC 1944–1947 late Coldstream Guards
• Major-General Sir John Marriott, KCVO CB DSO MC 1947–1950 late Scots Guards

Major-General Commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District (1950–1968)

• Major-General Sir Julian Gascoigne, KCMG KCVO CB DSO 1950–1953 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir George Johnson, KCVO CB CBE DSO 1953–1957 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Rodney Moore, GCVO KCB CBE DSO 1957–1959 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir George Burns, GCVO CB DSO OBE MC 1959–1962 late Coldstream Guards
• Major-General Sir John Nelson, KCVO CB DSO OBE MC 1962–1965 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Basil Eugster, KCB KCVO CBE DSO MC 1965–1968 late Irish Guards

Major-General Commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District (1968–)

• Major-General Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard, GCVO CB CBE MC 1968–1971 late The Life Guards
• Major-General Sir James Bowes-Lyon, GCVO CB OBE MC 1971–1973 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Philip Ward, KCVO CBE 1973–1976 late Welsh Guards
• Major-General Sir John Swinton, KCVO OBE 1976–1979 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Desmond Langley, KCVO MBE 1979–1983 late The Life Guards
• Major-General Sir James Eyre, KCVO CBE 1983–1986 late Royal Horse Guards
• Major-General Sir Christopher Airy, KCVO CBE 1986–1989 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Simon Cooper, GCVO 1989–1991 late The Life Guards
• Major-General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO CB 1991–1994 late Irish Guards
• Major-General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick, KCVO MBE 1994–1997 late Scots Guards
• Major-General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, KCVO OBE 1997–2000 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Redmond Watt, KCB KCVO CBE 2000–2003 late Welsh Guards
• Major-General Sir Sebastian Roberts, KCVO OBE 2003–2007 late Irish Guards
• Major-General Sir William Cubitt, KCVO CBE 2007–2011 late Irish Guards 1998–2011 (commissioned into Coldstream Guards, 1977–98)
• Major-General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE 2011–2013 late Grenadier Guards
• Major-General Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne KCVO CBE 2013–2016 late The Life Guards
• Major-General Sir Ben Bathurst KCVO CBE 2016–2019 late Welsh Guards
• Major General Sir Chris Ghika KCVO CBE 2019–2023 late Irish Guards
• Major General James Bowder OBE 2023 – Present late Grenadier Guards