Chris Ghika

Major General Christopher John Ghika CBE is a senior British Army officer who was the deputy commander of the US-led military coalition against ISIS, the Combined Joined Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, until 2019.

Chris Ghika
Ghika in 2018
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1993 –
RankMajor General
Commands heldLondon District
Household Division
1st Battalion Irish Guards
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire

Early life

Ghika is the son of Brigadier Prince John Ghika, an Irish Guards officer who traced his royal title back to 1658, when the Ghika dynasty ruled over Moldavia and later Wallachia. Chris Ghika does not use the title "Prince" publicly, even though this is his birth right.[1] He was educated at Ampleforth College.[2]

Military career

Ghika was commissioned into the Irish Guards in 1993, upon completing the commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.[3]After various field and staff roles, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards in 2010. He deployed as the head of a battlegroup, as a Lieutenant Colonel, to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.[4] He later went on to be Deputy Commander of the 1st (US) Infantry Division in 2014, Head of Personnel Capability in the Army Headquarters in September 2015 and Deputy Commander Strategy and Information of Combined Joined Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve in 2018.[5][6][7]

He was appointed Major-General commanding the Household Division on 15 November 2019.[8][3][9] In June 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, he was responsible for the modified Trooping the Colour ceremony at Windsor Castle. [10]

References
  1. "British general in Iran controversy is a Romanian prince". Washington Examiner. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  2. "Ampleforth Society Announcement | Ampleforth Society". www.ampleforth.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  3. "No. 53426". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 September 1993. p. 14960.
  4. "Major-General Chris Ghika CBE". Inherent Resolve. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  5. "U.K. Military Official Contradicts U.S. on Iranian Threat". Time. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  6. Ryan Browne and Jamie Crawford. "No increased threat from Iran-backed forces, anti-ISIS coalition leader says". CNN. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  7. Rempfer, Kyle (2019-05-14). "Pentagon disputes British general's assessment on Iranian threat". Military Times. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  8. "The Army in London - HQ London District". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  9. "No. 62830". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 November 2019. p. 20854.
  10. "Coronavirus: Queen's official birthday to be marked with new ceremony". BBC News. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Ben Bathurst		 GOC London District
2019 –		 Incumbent
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