Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire

Information and the role of the Lord-Lieutenant

Lord-Lieutenant: Sir Henry Elwes KCVO

Vice Lord-Lieutenant: Major John Eyre

Clerk to the Lieutenancy: Peter Bungard

Please contact:
Jane Cleaver
01452 425096
jane.cleaver@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Shire Hall, Gloucester GL1 2TG

Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of a County is an Honorary Officer appointed by the Crown by letters patent under the great seal on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. He is the permanent representative of the Crown in the County for which he is appointed and holds office until retirement at age 75. The appointment, made under the Lieutenancies Act 1997, is normally conferred on some prominent personage resident in the County.

Gloucestershire has had a Lord-Lieutenant since 1559. He was originally tasked with training local men to lead them against rebels and foreign invaders.

The current Lord-Lieutenant, Sir Henry Elwes KCVO, has been The Queen's representative for the Ceremonial County of Gloucestershire (which includes South Gloucestershire) since 1992 and is responsible for a wide range of duties including the planning and conducting of all Royal visits, currently running at about 30 each year.

This is Sir Henry's last year as Lord-Lieutenant as he retires at the end of October 2010. He has held the title for the last 18 years and hands over the baton on the day he turns 75 – as is the custom. Dame Janet Trotter is to become the next Lord- Lieutenant of Gloucestershire; she is currently chairman of the hospitals trust.

Although the requirement to recruit and train local armies is no longer necessary, there is a wide and demanding range of civic events and duties that the Lord-Lieutenant is involved in. Because of this it is necessary for him to have deputies who are his additional eyes and ears in the county.The number of deputies is dependant on the county's population. The deputies have all made significant contributions either nationally, or to local voluntary activities and they are:

• Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely KCB MC, Broadway
• Gillian Camm, Berkeley
• Colonel M. E. Bennett OBE, Twyning
• Greg Smith, Apperley
• Richard Ashton Lister, Stroud