[3] In August 1962, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Gordon-Lennox to serve as Serjeant at Arms of the House of Commons,[4] a largely ceremonial role in the chamber but nevertheless a key leadership position in the administration of parliament.

[1] Additionally, Gordon-Lennox, who was known to have a "salty" sense of humour,[1] allegedly made a remark to Labour MP Charles Pannell that caused him offense.

Prime Minister Harold Macmillan discussed the procedure with the Queen and reached a compromise, deciding that she would make her appointment after consultation with the Speaker of the House of Commons on the selection.

[8] The years he served as serjeant at arms saw an evolving Commons' administration, including demands for better facilities, a larger staff, and stricter security measures because of terrorist threats.

As MPs fled, Gordon-Lennox raced in to remove the ceremonial mace – that dates to the time of Charles the II – from the speaker's table.

"[1] In 1976, he was forced to intervene when Conservative MP Michael Heseltine seized the mace from the table and held it above his head in response to all of the member of the Labour Party breaking into song (their anthem "The Red Flag") during a heated debate.