Patrick Palmer (British Army officer)

Educated at Marlborough College and Sandhurst, Palmer was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1953.[1] He went on to serve in British Guiana, Suez and Cyprus.[1] He returned to Sandhurst as an instructor in 1961 and then served with his regiment in Borneo and then Aden.[1] After a spell in Whitehall, he returned to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion from 1972 to 1974.[1] In 1977 he became Commander 7th Armoured Brigade.[2]

In 1980 he was given command of the British Army Advisory Training Team in Zimbabwe, advising President Mugabe.[1] In 1982 he was appointed General Officer Commanding North East District, in 1983 he was dual-hatted as General Officer Commanding North East District and Commander 2nd Infantry Division and in 1984 he was made Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley.[2] In 1986 he became Military Secretary and in 1989 he was promoted to full general and became Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe before retiring in 1992.[3]

From 1982 to 1992 he was also Colonel of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.[4]

He was the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle from 1992 to 1999. After the great fire in 1992 he co-ordinated much of the re-building work. He retired from this position due to ill health in 1999 and was succeeded by Air Marshal Sir Richard Johns.

In 1960 he married Sonia Wigglesworth; they had one son.[1] Following the death of his first wife, he married Joanna Baines in 1966; they had two daughters.[1]