John Johnston

Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Frederick Dame Johnston, (24 August 1922 – 10 September 2006) was a British Army officer and courtier. He joined the Royal Household in 1964, serving as Assistant Comptroller and then Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. Sometimes known as "Stopwatch Johnny", he was one of the Queen's most popular courtiers. His duties included co-ordinating the weddings of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981 and of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey in 1986, and the funeral of the Duchess of Windsor at St George's Chapel, Windsor, also in 1986.

Early life and education Johnston was born in Burma, where his father was a banker in Mandalay.

Courtier On leaving the army, Johnston joined the Lord Chamberlain's Office as Assistant Comptroller. He was appointed an Extra Equerry to the Queen in 1965. Until 1968, the Lord Chamberlain's duties included the licensing (and censoring) of plays and theatres under the Theatres Act 1843. He described the historic role of the Lord Chamberlain's Office in this area in his 1990 book, The Lord Chamberlain's Blue Pencil. Amongst his other duties, he helped to organise the celebrations of The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Johnston was promoted to Comptroller in 1981, replacing Lieutenant Colonel Sir Eric Penn shortly before the 1981 royal wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. As Comptroller, he took charge of protocol, state visits, investitures, garden parties, the State Opening of Parliament, royal weddings and royal funerals, administration of the royal palaces and the Royal Collection, the Central Chancery of Knighthood, the Lords-in-Waiting, the Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard, the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen's Bargemaster, the Royal Watermen, and supervised swan upping. He also controlled royal styles and titles, matters of precedence, granting of Royal Warrants, and licensing the use of the royal arms. On one occasion, when dressed in the uniform of the Grenadier Guards, he stood prominently beside The Queen on Horse Guards Parade, holding her handbag.

Amongst his other interests, Johnston was president of Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

For many years, Johnston occupied a grace and favour cottage in Home Park, Windsor. He bought a cottage in west Wales in the 1970s, which he used as a holiday home. He was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 1971, advanced to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1977, and made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1981. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1987, the year in which he retired. He was succeeded as Comptroller by Lieutenant Colonel George Alston-Roberts-West, and moved to a house in Windsor Great Park.