An equerry (; from French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a sovereign, a member of a royal family, or a national representative. The role is equivalent to an aide-de-camp, but the term is prevalent only among some members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Australia
Australian equerries are commissioned officers in the Australian Defence Force, appointed on an ad hoc basis to the King of Australia, Governor General, state governors or to visiting foreign heads of state.
Canada
Canadian equerries are drawn from the commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces, and are most frequently appointed to serve visiting members of the Canadian Royal Family. The equerry appointed for the King of Canada is a senior officer, typically a major or a lieutenant-commander, while the equerry appointed for a child of the monarch is a junior officer, typically a captain or naval lieutenant.
New Zealand
New Zealand equerries are appointed to serve the monarch of New Zealand only for the duration of a royal visit to the country, and are always drawn from the officers of the New Zealand Defence Force, typically captains, flight lieutenants, and navy lieutenants.
Flight Lieutenant John Hamilton was equerry to Queen Elizabeth II when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited New Zealand in 1981. Squadron Leader Leanne Woon of the Operational Support Squadron, part of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, was the equerry to the Queen during the most recent royal visit in 2002. She was the only woman to serve as an equerry to the monarch anywhere in the Commonwealth until the appointment of Captain Katherine Anderson Royal Artillery as the British Equerry to King Charles III in 2024. Captain Sam Stevenson of the New Zealand Army served as equerry to the Duke of Cambridge during his 2005 visit to New Zealand. Squadron Leader Marcel 'Shagga' Scott of the Royal New Zealand Air Force served as equerry to HRH Prince Charles in November 2012. Squadron Leader Tim Costley of the Royal New Zealand Air Force served as equerry to the Duke of Cambridge during the 2014 Royal visit to New Zealand by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George.
United Kingdom
280px|thumb|Three mounted equerries in waiting at the Queen's Birthday Parade in 2018: Colonel Toby Browne (the Crown Equerry), Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon (an extra equerry), Major [[Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah|Nana Twumasi-Ankrah (Equerry in waiting).]]
In the UK equerries are appointed by working members of the royal family and are drawn from junior officers of the British Armed Forces (normally captains or majors). The role involves being in regular close attendance both within the royal residence and outside on public engagements. Army officers serving as equerries or extra equerries may wear a distinctive cocked hat (with red and white upright feathers) when on duty in full dress uniform.
Present day
At the time of King Charles III's accession to the throne, the 'Household of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall' included two equerries.
|-
| 2024–
|Captain Hugh Scrope
|Coldstream Guards
|Assistant Equerry
|-
| 2024–
|Captain Kat Anderson
|Royal Artillery
|Assistant Equerry; first female equerry to any sovereign
|}
Those appointed as extra equerries by King Charles III (since the year 2022) include:
{| class="wikitable"
! Years !! Name !! Unit !! Notes
|-
| 2023 || Vice Admiral Sir Tom Blackburn || Royal Navy || former Master of the Household
|}
Other working members of the Royal Family can also appoint Equerries; in the case of more junior members the appointment might be combined with another post. The temporary equerry was a captain of the Coldstream Guards, who provided part-time attendance, and who (when not required for duty) was assigned to regimental or staff duties.
On overseas tours to Commonwealth realms an equerry was often appointed from the local armed forces to serve for the duration of the tour. in this role (which is separate from that of the bearer party which carried the coffin) they walked immediately alongside the late Queen's coffin in each of the state funeral processions which took place in London and Windsor.
Individuals who served as equerry to Elizabeth II include:
{| class="wikitable"
! Years !! Name !! Regiment !! Notes
|-
| 1952–1954 || Captain Sir Harold Campbell, KCVO DSO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 1952–1953 || Major Sir Michael Adeane, KCVO CB || Royal Scots Greys ||
|-
| 1952–1975 || Lieutenant-Colonel The Lord Plunket, KCVO || rowspan="2" | Royal Air Force || Temporary
|-
| c. 1964 || Squadron Leader M J P Walmsley ||
|-
| 1962–1965 || Lieutenant-Commander John Garnier, LVO || Royal Navy || Temporary
|-
| 1965–1968 || Major Charles Howard, LVO || 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards ||
|-
| 1968–1971 || Lieutenant-Commander Jock Slater, LVO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 1971–1974 || Squadron Leader Peter Beer, LVO || Royal Air Force ||
|-
| 1974–1977 || Major G R S Broke, MVO || Royal Artillery ||
|-
| 1976–1994 || Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Blair Stewart-Wilson, KCVO || Scots Guards || also Deputy Master of the Household
|-
| 1977–1980 || Lieutenant-Commander Robert Guy, MVO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 1980–1983 || Squadron Leader Adam Wise, LVO MBE || Royal Air Force ||
|-
| 1983–1986 || Major Hugh Lindsay, LVO || 9th/12th Royal Lancers ||
|-
| 1986–1989 || Lieutenant-Commander Timothy Laurence, MVO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 1989–1992|| Squadron Leader David Walker, OBE MVO || Royal Air Force ||
|-
| 1992–1995 || Major James Patrick, MVO || Irish Guards ||
|-
| 1994–1999 || Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Guy Acland, Bt LVO || Royal Artillery || also Deputy Master of the Household
|-
| 1995–1998 || Lieutenant-Commander Toby Williamson, MVO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 1998–2001 || Squadron Leader Simon Brailsford, MVO || Royal Air Force ||
|-
| 1999–2022 || Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Charles Richards, CVO || Welsh Guards || also Deputy Master of the Household
|-
| 2001–2004 || Major James Duckworth-Chad, MVO|| Coldstream Guards ||
|-
| 2004–2007|| Commander Heber Ackland, MVO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 2007–2010 || Wing Commander Andrew Calame, MVO MBE || Royal Air Force ||
|-
| 2010–2012|| Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rex, MVO || Royal Gurkha Rifles ||
|-
| 2012–2015 || Lieutenant Commander Andrew Canale, MVO || Royal Navy ||
|-
| 2015–2017 || Wing Commander Samuel P. Fletcher, MVO || Royal Air Force ||
|-
| 2017–2020 || Lieutenant-Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, MVO || Blues and Royals ||
|-
| 2020–2022 || Lieutenant-Colonel Tom White MVO|| Royal Marines ||
|-
|}
Those appointed by Elizabeth II as extra equerries (since the year 2000) included:
- Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave (Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood) in 2019
- Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Matheson, younger of Matheson (then Secretary, Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, now Senior Gentleman Usher) in 2006