Lord-lieutenant
A lord-lieutenant (
Lord-lieutenant is now an honorary titular position usually awarded to a retired notable person in the county.
Origins
England and Wales
Lieutenants were first appointed to a number of English counties by King Henry VIII in the 1540s, when the military functions of the sheriffs were handed over to them. Each lieutenant raised and was responsible for the efficiency of the local militia units of his county, and afterwards of the yeomanry and volunteers. He was commander of these forces, whose officers he appointed.[3] These commissions were originally of temporary duration, and only when the situation required the local militia to be specially supervised and well prepared; often when invasion by Scotland or France might be expected.
Lieutenancies soon became more organised, probably in the reign of Henry's successor
The office of lieutenant was abolished under the Commonwealth, but was re-established following the Restoration under the City of London Militia Act 1662, which declared that:
[T]he King's most Excellent Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, shall and may from Time to Time, as Occasion shall require, issue forth several Commissions of Lieutenancy to such Persons as his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, shall think fit to be his Majesty's Lieutenants for the several and respective Counties, Cities and Places of England and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed.
Although not explicitly stated, from that date lieutenants were appointed to "counties at large", with their jurisdiction including the counties corporate within the parent county.[4] For example, lieutenants of Devon in the 17th and 18th centuries appointed deputy lieutenants to the City of Exeter, and were sometimes described as the "Lieutenant of Devon and Exeter".[5][6] The one exception was Haverfordwest, to which a lieutenant continued to be appointed until 1974. The origin of this anomaly may have lain in the former palatine status of Pembrokeshire.[4]
The official title of the office at this time was His or Her Majesty's "Lieutenant for the county of x", but, as almost all office-holders were
The
Ireland
In the
In the Republic of Ireland no Lord Lieutenants have been appointed since the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, and all relevant statutes have been repealed.
Northern Ireland
In 1921, with the establishment of Northern Ireland, lord lieutenants continued to be appointed through the Governor of Northern Ireland to the six counties and the two county boroughs of Derry and Belfast. Whereas in 1973 the counties and county boroughs were abolished as local government units, lord-lieutenants are now appointed directly by the King to "counties and county boroughs ... as defined for local government purposes immediately before 1 October 1973".
Scotland
Although
The
are, by virtue of office, also the lord-lieutenants of their respective city.While in their lieutenancies, lord-lieutenants are among the few individuals in Scotland officially permitted to fly the banner of the
19th century
The
The
The
The lieutenancies were reestablished on a new basis by section 29 of the Militia Act 1882 which stated that "Her Majesty shall from time to time appoint Lieutenants for the several counties in the United Kingdom". Counties for lieutenancy purposes were also redefined as "a county at large, with the exception that each
...Our Lieutenant of and in the County of X and of all cities boroughs liberties places incorporated and privileged and other places whatsoever within the said county and the limits and precincts of the same.[16]
This was a formal recognition of the situation that had existed since 1662 that the lieutenancies for the majority of counties corporate in England were held jointly with their associated county—for example a lieutenant was now appointed for "the County of Gloucester, and the City and County of Gloucester, and the City and County of City of Bristol".[17]
From 1889 lieutenancy counties in
Section 69 of the
The office of lieutenant was honorary and held during the royal pleasure, but often for life. Appointment to the office is by letters patent under the great seal. Usually, though not necessarily, the person appointed lieutenant was also appointed custos rotulorum or keeper of the rolls. Appointments to the county's bench of magistrates were usually made on the recommendation of the lieutenant.[3]
20th century
The
In 1921, with the establishment of Northern Ireland, lieutenants continued to be appointed through the Governor of Northern Ireland to the six counties and two county boroughs. The creation of the Irish Free State in the following year saw the remaining county lieutenancies in Ireland abolished. In 1973 the counties and county boroughs were abolished as local government units in Northern Ireland, and lord-lieutenants are now appointed directly by the sovereign to "counties and county boroughs... as defined for local government purposes immediately before 1 October 1973". In 1975 the term lord-lieutenant officially replaced that of lieutenant.[19][20]
Local government reform in England in 1965 led to the appointment of lieutenants to Greater London[21] and Huntingdon and Peterborough, and the abolition of those of the counties of London, Middlesex and Huntingdon.
A more fundamental reform of local government throughout England and Wales (outside Greater London) created a new structure of metropolitan, non-metropolitan and Welsh counties in 1974. Section 218 of the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) that established the new system stated: "Her Majesty shall appoint a lord-lieutenant for each county in England and Wales and for Greater London..." The act appears to be the first statutory use of the term "lord-lieutenant" for lieutenants to counties.
Existing lord lieutenants were assigned to one of the corresponding new counties wherever possible. Where this could not be done, the existing office-holder became a lieutenant of a county, junior to the lord-lieutenant. For example, the Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Powys, with those of Breconshire and Radnorshire each being designated as simply "Lieutenant of Powys". This measure was temporary, and no lieutenants have been appointed in this way since 1974, although the power still exists.
In 1975 counties ceased to be used for local government purposes in Scotland. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) replaced the counties with regions, and each region was to have one or more lord-lieutenants appointed.[22] The areas to which they were appointed approximated to the counties and were based and were defined in terms of the new local government districts.
Present day
In 1996 Scottish regions and districts were abolished on further local government reorganisation, and since that date Lord-Lieutenants have been appointed to "lieutenancy areas", in most places roughly equivalent to the historic Scottish counties.[23]
Partial reform of local government in England since 1995 has led to the creation of so-called "ceremonial counties" to which Lord-Lieutenants are now appointed. The Lieutenancies Act 1997 (c. 23) is the most recent piece of primary legislation dealing with lieutenancies in England and includes the definitive list of the current areas used. Ceremonial counties may comprise combinations of county council areas and unitary authority areas, or even parts of them.[24]
Since the local government re-organisation of 1996 in Wales, Lord-Lieutenants are now appointed to "preserved counties", i.e. the counties used for administrative purposes from 1974 to 1996.[25]
The
Duties
Lord-Lieutenants are the monarch's representatives in their respective lieutenancies. It is their foremost duty to uphold the dignity of the Crown, and in so doing they seek to promote a spirit of co-operation and good atmosphere through the time they give to voluntary and benevolent organisations and through the interest they take in the business and social life of their counties.
The modern responsibilities of Lord-Lieutenants include:
- Arranging visits of members of the royal familyand escorting royal visitors;
- Presenting medals and awards on behalf of the sovereign, and advising on honours nominations;
- Participating in civic, voluntary and social activities within the lieutenancy;
- Acting as liaison with local units of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, Royal Air Force and their associated cadet forces;
- Leading the local Justices of the Peace; and
- Chairing the local Advisory Committee for the Appointment of the General Commissioners of Income Tax, a tribunal which hears appeals against decisions made by the HM Revenue and Customson a variety of different tax-related matters.
As the Sovereign's representative in each county, a Lord-Lieutenant remains non-political and may not hold office in any political party. They are appointed for life, although the customary age of retirement is 75 and the Sovereign may remove them.
Deputies
Each Lord-Lieutenant is supported by a Vice-Lieutenant and
Remuneration
They are unpaid, but receive minimal allowances for secretarial help, mileage allowance and a driver. Lord-Lieutenants receive an allowance for the ceremonial uniform, worn when receiving members of the Royal Family and on other formal occasions.
Uniform
Since at least the 18th century, a military-style uniform has been worn by lord-lieutenants (appropriate to the military origins of the post). Since 1831 this has been analogous to the uniform worn by a general staff officer, but with silver lace in place of the gold worn by regular officers.[27] Over time, the design of the uniform changed in line with changes made to army uniform.[28]
At present, it is a dark blue uniform in the style of a General Officer's
The uniform for a vice lord-lieutenant and for
The uniform is optional for female lord-lieutenants, vice lord-lieutenants, and deputy lieutenants. If not in uniform, female appointees wear a Badge of Office featuring their national symbol (rose, shamrocks, or thistle) on a bow of white and magenta – the Lieutenancy colours.[29]
Badge
In 1975 a badge was provided for female lord-lieutenants to wear as an optional alternative to the uniform. It consists of an enamel version of the uniform cap badge topped by a jewelled crown, suspended from a ribbon of the same colour as the uniform sash.[29][31]
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the head of the British administration in Ireland until the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922.
Forms of address for lord-lieutenants
- Written: '(Title and name), His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant'
- Salutation: 'Dear Lord-Lieutenant'
- In a speech: 'My Lord-Lieutenant'
- In conversation: '(Title and name)' or 'Lord-Lieutenant'.
- Plural: 'Lord-lieutenants',[32] although the form of 'Lords-Lieutenant' frequently appears.
Colonial equivalents
In the
By way of an example, this is still the case in Britain's second, and oldest remaining, colony,
Approximate equivalents in other countries
In France and Italy, the role of Prefect (préfet in French, prefetto in Italian) is different from that of lord-lieutenant, as the regional and departmental prefects of France are responsible for delivering as well as controlling functions of public services. Similarly to a lord-lieutenant, in Portugal, a representative of the Republic (representante da República in Portuguese) is the personal representative of the Head of State in each of the two autonomous regions of the country, having a limited political role, besides the ceremonial one. In Sweden (as landshövding) and Norway (as fylkesmann), the regional governor is responsible for administrative control functions of services delivered and decisions made by local and county municipalities, as well as representing the king in the region. In the Netherlands, King's commissioners (Commissaris van de Koning in Dutch) are appointed by the monarch, but unlike a lord-lieutenant, belong to a political party.
See also
- Ceremonial counties of England
- Deputy lieutenant
- High sheriff
- King's commissioner (Netherlands)
- Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
- List of lord-lieutenants in the United Kingdom
- List of vice-admirals of the coast (posts created in the 1530s to oversee defence of the coast)
- Preserved counties of Wales
Notes
- ^ "Definition: Lieutenant". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ "History of the Lieutenancy". surreylieutenancy.org. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lieutenant". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 599. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ Webb, Sidney; Webb, Beatrice (1906). "1: The Parish and the County". English Local Government from the Revolution to the Municipal Corporations Act. London: Longman's Green and Co. pp. 283–287.
- ^ Historical Manuscripts Commission (1916). "The city of Exeter: Commissions, pardons etc". Report on the Records of the City of Exeter. British History Online. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
- ^ "Milita Act 1796 (37 Geo. 3 c. 3)". The Statutes at Large. 1798. p. 426. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Cokayne, George Edward; Gibbs, Vicary (1910). The Complete Peerage. Vol. I. p. 174, fn (b). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ a b c "Ireland—Lord Lieutenancy of Clare—Resolution". 7 May 1872. HL Deb Vol.211 cc.409–410. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^
short title assigned by Short Titles Act 1896
- ^ Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1893). Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 33. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 286–288. . In
- ^ Militia Act 1797 (37 Geo. 3, C.103)
- 42 Geo. 3. c. 90)
- 34 & 35 Vict.c. 86) section 6
- ISSN 0140-0460.
- 45 & 46 Vict.c. 49) section 5
- ^ Anson, William (1907). The Law and Custom of the Constitution. Vol. II: The Crown. Part I. Oxford: University of Oxford. p. 264.
- ^ Militia Act. 1882. p. 21. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- 7 Edw. 7. c. 9)
- ^ Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 (1973 c. 36) section 36(5)
- ^ The Northern Ireland (Lieutenancy) Order 1975 (SI 1975/156)
- ^ Administration of Justice Act 1964 (1964 c. 2) section 18
- ^ The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975 (SI 1975/428)
- ^ Text of The Lord-Lieutenants (Scotland) Order 1996, Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 731 (S.83). as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2001.
- ^ Text of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 (1997 c. 23) as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
- ^ Text of the Preserved Counties (Amendment to Boundaries) (Wales) Order 2003 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ www.city-lieutenancy.org.uk
- ^ Mansfield, A., Ceremonial Costume. London: A & C Black, 1980.
- ^ https://archive.org/stream/dressinsigniawor00greauoft#page/56/mode/2up Uniform as worn prior to the Second World War, illustrated in Dress Worn at Court, Lord Chamberlain's Office, 1921.
- ^ a b c d "Army Dress Regulations: Part 12: Special Appointments" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Recognising The Lieutenancy". greaterlondonlieutenancy.com. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Risk, James; Pownall, Henry; Stanley, David; Tamplin, John (2001). Royal Service (Volume II). Lingfield, Surrey: Third Millennium. pp. 88–89.
- ^ "Lord-Lieutenants". The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ travis.smith-simons (3 March 2016). "The Governor of Bermuda". gov.bm. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ Shorto, Gavin (5 April 2018). "The Good Governor". The Bermudian. Retrieved 10 May 2018.