Richard Swinburn

Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Swinburn was commissioned into the 17th/21st Lancers in 1957.[2] He became Commanding Officer of 17th/21st Lancers in 1979 and Commander of 7th Armoured Brigade in 1983.[3] He went on to be General Officer Commanding 1st Armoured Division in 1987 and Assistant Chief of the General Staff in 1989.[3] He was made GOC South East District in 1990 (which was retitled 'Southern District' in 1992).[3] He was then made Commander UK Field Army in 1994[3] and retired in 1995.[4]

He was given the colonelcy of the Queen's Royal Lancers from 1995 to 2001.[5]

He was the son of Major-General Henry Robinson Swinburn (1897–1981) and Naomi Hull (1903–1992). His maternal grandfather was Major-General Sir Charles Hull and his uncle was Field Marshal Sir Richard Hull. In 1964 he married Jane Elise Brodie who died in 2001.[3] In September 2012, it was announced that he was engaged to Susan Ferguson (née Deptford), the widow of Major Ronald Ferguson and the stepmother of Sarah, Duchess of York.[6] They married in December 2012. Prince Andrew, Sarah, Duchess of York, and their two daughters attended Sir Richard and Lady Swinburn's wedding celebrations.[7]