Palmerston, one of the U.K.’s top ‘diplocats,’ dies in Bermuda

Palmerston, the Foreign Office cat, stalks past 10 Downing Street in front of the waiting media in central London, on June 9, 2017. (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Palmerston, the black and white feline who rose from the streets of London to the hallowed halls of Britain’s Foreign Office, has died in Bermuda, London’s foreign ministry said Monday.

The former ‘Chief Mouser’ of the Foreign Office retired from Whitehall in 2020 but returned to the spotlight in 2025 when he joined the new Governor of Bermuda Andrew Murdoch in the overseas territory, according to an Instagram post.

The cat’s X account said the “diplocat extraordinaire” passed peacefully on February 12.

Affectionately known as ‘Palmy,’ the feline was a “special member of the Government House team in Bermuda, and a much loved family member,” the post said.

“He was a wonderful companion, with a gentle nature, and will be sorely missed.”

Palmerston was rescued from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and joined the Foreign Office in 2016 during a turbulent time in British politics, just months before the UK voted to withdraw from the European Union.

Named after the 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, the cat quickly garnered a large online fanbase, boasting nearly 100,000 followers as of Tuesday who closely tracked his adventures across Westminster.

Palmerston enjoyed a friendly rivalry with Britain’s most famous cat, 10 Downing Street’s Larry, who just celebrated 15 years in his post.

“Farewell old friend x,” Larry said on X.

Among Palmerston’s many contributions to the UK public service was pest control. Just weeks into his post, Palmerston caught his first mouse, according to a congratulatory X post from the former Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Simon McDonald.

He was also a philanthropist and raised more than 3,000 British pounds ($4,082) for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Palmerston retired in 2020 during the Covid pandemic to “spend more time relaxing away from the limelight,” according to a letter pawed by the cat and addressed to McDonald.

“I will miss hearing the footsteps of an Ambassador and sprinting to my hideout to see who it is,” Palmerston wrote, adding that his departure would be a “major loss for our intelligence gathering” but it was time to “enjoy some me-time.”

In 2025, “a purr-fect role” lured Palmerston out of retirement, the beloved cat said on X.

Palmerston ditched London’s grey skies and rain for the white sandy beaches and clear waters of Bermuda, where in his final days he could be seen playing with giant avocados, welcoming foreign dignitaries and handing out poppies ahead of Remembrance Day, according to his X account.

By Lex Harvey