Palmerston, the chief mouser of the UK’s Overseas Workplace, sadly handed away this previous Thursday in Bermuda. Palmerston’s official X accountopens in new tab posted the information this previous Friday.
“Palmerston, Diplocat extraordinaire, handed away peacefully on 12 February,” the submit reads “‘Palmy’ was a particular member of the Authorities Home group in Bermuda, and a a lot cherished member of the family. He was a beautiful companion, with a delicate nature, and will likely be sorely missed.”
The beloved tuxedo cat was first rescued from the Battersea Canine and Cats House in 2016. He was named after the U.Okay’.s longest-serving overseas minister, Lord Palmerston. Palmerston the cat (not the lord) served below one everlasting secretary, Simon McDonald, and 4 overseas secretaries: Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, and Dominic Raab.
Palmerston’s time on the Overseas Workplace wasn’t with out controversy. In accordance with The Impartialopens in new tab, Palmerston was rumored to have a long-standing feud with Larry, the Chief Mouser at No. 10 Downing (aka the Prime Minister’s official residence and the workplace). The Instances recounts that Palmerston would usually sneak off to No. 10 to swipe a few of Larry’s meals — and even went farther down the road to steal the meals of Evie, a Cupboard Workplace cat.
However regardless of their preliminary animosity, it appears Larry and Palmerston’s relationship ultimately grew to become considered one of mutual respect.
“In direction of the top of their time, I felt like they’d a type of respect for each other,” mentioned Downing Avenue photographer Justing Ng to The Instancesopens in new tab. “They might, very often in the summertime, sleep close to one another as in the event that they have been begrudging buddies.”
Palmerston took a short depart of absence in July 2019, after he was discovered overgrooming, a typical signal of stress in cats. When he returned, McDonald instilled the Palmerston Protocols, a algorithm designed to raise Palmerston’s way of life. Below these new guidelines, solely Palmerston’s official caretakers have been to feed him and he was given a smaller area to roam. Moreover, workers was cautioned to respect his private area and to not disturb him when he was asleep.
After 4 years of devoted service, Palmerston retired in 2020opens in new tab. Throughout his retirement within the Hampshire countryside with McDonald, Palmerston actually linked with one specific individual: Andy Murdoch, the husband of McDonald’s personal secretary.
“So Andy grew to become his individual,” McDonald recalled to The Instances.
In 2025, Murdoch was made governor of Bermuda. So, Palmerston got here out of 5 years of peaceable retirement for a return to public service. Dubbed a “felines relations marketing consultant (semi-retired),” he journeyed to Bermuda with Murdoch, the place he lived till his passing.
“He was splendidly affectionate, extremely light and loved our firm,” Murdoch mentioned to The Instances. “He grew to become a real member of the household. All of the group at Authorities Home acquired to know Palmy. He would tour the places of work to test everybody was at their desks and spend time with everybody. He will likely be a lot missed.”
Throughout X, United Kingdomopens in new tab and overseas officersopens in new tab provided their condolences. Among the many officers who paid tribute to Palmerston was Larry himself. Even amidst the rumors of their rivalry, Larry’s (unofficial) X account retweeted Palmerston’s submitopens in new tab, addressing him as an “previous buddy” in his tribute.
This week really marks 15 years of Larry’s time at Downing Avenueopens in new tab. The celebration, nevertheless, is bittersweet with the information of his frenemy’s passing.
