Photo courtesy: @DiploMog on X

Palmerston, who left the British Foreign Office in 2020, has come out of retirement to take up a new post working with the governor of Bermuda. Named after Lord Palmerston, two-time prime minister in the 1850s and 1860s, the black and white cat rescue cat was said to have been roughly 2 years of age when he was appointed to the British Foreign Office in 2016.

Palmerston had a longtime rivalry with Larry, the current Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street. While details are sketchy with some accounts of the feud sealed to protect the innocent, it was reported that Larry tried to enter the Foreign Office in London and a clash of the feline titans ensued resulting with an injured Larry needing veterinary treatment.

Photo courtesy: BBC

While bitterness did linger for some time, it seems to have diminshed in recent years with Palmerston keeping a low profile in his countryside retirement and Larry going on to serve his sixth prime minister at #10.

Andrew Murdoch, who served with Palmerston in the Foreign Office, maintained a residence with him during retirement. Murdoch was appointed by His Majesty the King to Governor and Commander in Chief in Bermuda in January 2025.

Photo courtesy: @DiploMog on X

Armed with an opportunity to be 3000 miles away from Larry, the lure of service to crown and country has brought Palmerston out of retirement as ‘feline relations consultant’ to the Governor of Bermuda.

You can follow Palmerston on X as he begins his duties of meeting and welcoming Bermudians.

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