Connect with us

News

Palmerston, Ex-Foreign Office Feline, Passes Away in Bermuda

Tributes are being paid to a former rival by various individuals, including Larry the Cat, who serves as the chief mouser at No 10.

The former "chief mouser" of the Foreign Office, Palmerston, has passed away in Bermuda, as reported by his social media account.

Palmerston stands on a green table looking around while Permanent Under Secretary, Simon McDonald smiles looking on.
Palmerston exploring his new surroundings in Simon McDonald's office in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in 2016

Prior to his retirement in 2020, Palmerston spent four years serving at Whitehall, having initially been adopted from Battersea Cats and Dogs home.

In a surprise move, Palmerston's social media account announced in February 2025 that he had come out of retirement to take on a new role as a "feline relations consultant" in Bermuda, approximately 3,500 miles from his previous posting.

A tribute was paid to Palmerston on his X account, announcing his peaceful passing on February 12, remembering him as a "Diplocat extraordinaire".

According to the post, Palmerston was a beloved member of the Government House team in Bermuda and a cherished family member, known for his gentle nature and companionship, and will be deeply missed.

Palmerston the cat investigates a camera at ground level in front of 10 Downing Street
Palmerston often prowled Downing Street

Named after the 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, the black-and-white cat began his diplomatic career in 2016.

During the Covid pandemic, Palmerston relocated from the central London building, and subsequently retired from service in 2020.

Upon his retirement, a letter addressed to Lord Simon McDonald, the then-most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, stated that Palmerston had been enjoying a more relaxed life, climbing trees, and patrolling fields, and wished to spend more time away from the public eye.

The letter, signed in Palmerston's name, expressed his contentment with the quieter life, saying, "I have found life away from the frontline to be more relaxed, easier, and quieter".

Palmerston's social media account claimed that he was coaxed out of retirement by a new role with Bermuda's governor, Andrew Murdoch, with whom he had been living since his initial retirement, prompting celebration among his 99,000 social media followers.

Tributes to Palmerston have been led by his former rival, Larry, the chief mouser at Number 10, who is marking 15 years in the position, having served under six prime ministers.

A farewell message was posted by Larry's unofficial X account, reading, "Farewell old friend x".

Palmerston and Larry were rumored to have had a long-standing feud, with several publicized altercations during their time in Westminster.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Hodgkinson Eyes World Record After Setting New Benchmark

At the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Keely Hodgkinson expressed her intention to pursue a world record, having recently shattered the British 800m record.

In a dominant display, Keely Hodgkinson finished nine seconds clear of the field in the 800m event at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

Following her record-breaking performance at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships, Keely Hodgkinson has set her sights on achieving a new world record in the 800m event.

The 23-year-old Olympic gold medalist from 2024 delivered an impressive time of 1:56.33 in the heats, surpassing her own British record by nearly one second.

This achievement marked the fastest women's 800m time in 24 years and the third-fastest in history.

Although she had announced prior to the event that she would not participate in the final due to her upcoming appearance at the Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Trophee in France, Hodgkinson viewed the run as an opportunity for personal growth.

She explained that her primary goal was to qualify for the upcoming world championships in Poland, which is why she only participated in one round.

Hodgkinson considered the experience a valuable test, given that it had been three years since she last competed indoors, and she recognized the need to maintain her focus.

While not initially intending to set a world-leading time, Hodgkinson started strongly and managed to sustain her pace, resulting in a pleasant surprise and a strong overall performance.

When questioned about her ambition to break Jolanda Ceplak's indoor world record of 1:55.82, set in 2002, Hodgkinson expressed her determination, stating that she has long been vocal about her desire to claim the record.

Hodgkinson emphasized that she believes the record is within her reach and intends to make a serious attempt to break it.

On the first day of the championships, Dina Asher-Smith delivered a remarkable performance, winning the women's 60m title with a time of 7.05 seconds, narrowly edging out Amy Hunt by a tenth of a second and establishing a new championship record.

In a post-event interview, the 27-year-old Asher-Smith mentioned that she had been feeling strong throughout the indoor season, noting that sometimes patience and race sharpness are essential for achieving fast times.

Asher-Smith's winning margin over Amy Hunt was a mere tenth of a second.

Jeremiah Azu, the 24-year-old world and European indoor champion, successfully defended his UK title in the men's 60m, achieving a season's best time of 6.56 seconds.

Molly Caudery regained the women's pole vault title by clearing a height of 4.65m, while Owen Heard secured the men's title with a jump of 5.55m.

Lucy Hadaway emerged victorious in the women's long jump with a leap of 6.45m, and Tito Odunaike took the men's triple jump title with a distance of 15.45m.

Abigail Pawlett won the women's 60m hurdles with a personal best time of 8.05 seconds, and Daniel Goriola claimed the men's title with a season's best of 7.78 seconds.

Madeline Down finished first in the women's para 60m final with a time of 8.24 seconds, and Kevin Santos won the men's title with a time of 6.93 seconds.

Continue Reading

News

Hull edge out Bradford in Super League comeback match

Hull FC narrowly defeated Bradford Bulls 27-20 at the MKM Stadium, thwarting the latter’s bid for a comeback win in their Super League return.

A try from Harvey Barron contributed to Hull FC's win over the Bradford Bulls.

The scoring breakdown for Hull FC included tries from Batchelor, Barron, Litten, and Cust, with Pryce making five goals and adding a drop goal.

Bradford's scoring consisted of tries by Blake and two from Wynne, with Milnes converting four goals.

Bradford Bulls' return to Super League after an 11-year absence ended in a narrow 27-20 defeat to Hull FC, who secured the win in the final minutes of the match at the MKM Stadium.

Following York Knights' one-point upset over reigning champions Hull KR just 48 hours prior, Bradford Bulls found themselves on the losing end of another thrilling season-opening match.

The Bulls put up a strong fight, with the score tied and only three minutes remaining in regular time, making it a closely contested match until the end.

A drop goal by Hull FC's Will Pryce gave his team the lead, and Cade Cust sealed the victory with a try in the 79th minute.

The Hull FC lineup consisted of Pryce, Barron, Hardaker, Litten, Martin, Kemp, Sezer, Knight, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, Romano, and Aydin.

Hull FC's interchange players were Cust, Fash, Lisone, and Sao.

The Bradford team included Aekins, Okunbor, Marsters, Blake, Wynne, Keyes, Milnes, Sutton, Ackers, Lewis, Russell, Fulton, and Mellor.

Bradford's interchange players were Souter, Scurr, Doro, and Chamberlain.

The match was refereed by Marcus Griffiths.

Continue Reading

News

Shearer calls for Digne dismissal over reckless challenge

Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, and Dion Dublin weighed in on whether Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne deserved a red card for his high challenge on Norwich City’s Jacob Murphy.

A debate is underway regarding Aston Villa's Lucas Digne, with former footballers Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, and Dion Dublin weighing in on whether his high challenge on Jacob Murphy warranted a red card for Aston Villa.

For more football coverage, viewers can access additional FA Cup videos.

Access to this content is restricted to users within the United Kingdom.

Continue Reading

Trending