Many of us know that the role of DeputyLieutenant is an important one and only a few get to be asked to take up the honour and get past all the scrutiny required before being invited to take office. But who knows what is really involved? We asked Paul to provide an insight into the fascinating and hectic life of such a privileged role – Ed
News Bites in the July issue of What’s Cooking mentioned that I’d been appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London. The Editor went on to say it was perhaps unclear what the role involved. Indeed, this is a question I’ve been asked many times since my appointment in February.
Every County in the four home countries, ninety-nine in total, has a Lord-Lieutenant appointed by the Sovereign as their personal representative in that County with responsibilities for upholding the dignity of the Crown, as well by following the example of the Sovereign providing a local focus for national identity, unity and pride. Historically the office was established by Henry VIII in 1550 when holders were responsible for the maintenance of order, managing magistrates and all military measures for local defence including when required raising a local militia. Deputies could be appointed from 1569. Apart from the brief Commonwealth period between 1649 and 1660 there have been appointments ever since.
As society has changed responsibility for the military transferred back to the Crown and subsequently the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the appointment of magistrates although the Lord Lieutenant usually chairs the local Advisory Committee.
Increasingly the Lieutenancy has become involved in wider issues in society using its community networking to organise and assist in Royal visits, assessment of nominations for honours and awards supporting local military units, especially Reserves, Cadets, and a wide range of voluntary organisations. Given these are voluntary roles for which no expenses are given, Deputy Lieutenants are appointed – the number varying in each county – to assist in this expanding work. In Greater London, given its population size and scale, 32 Deputies have been appointed specifically as Representative DLs in a particular Borough.
It was a huge honour on 15th February for me to receive an email from the Lord-Lieutenant appointing me to the role with the very emphatic wording ‘Your name has been presented to and not objected to by H M The Queen.’ As the appointment is to Greater London (where I am expected to remain a resident whilst holding the post) it is for the Lord-Lieutenant to determine my duties. The previous Representative DL for Islington retired in autumn 2021 (there is a retirement age of 75 laid down by statute) and given my link with St John (which has its national HQ in the Borough) I was immediately asked to take on that role.
Taking up my new responsibilities took a while, which was useful given my uniform took eight weeks to be tailored, but the Borough was also getting ready for the first local government elections post pandemic and given my strictly non-political role I was unable to meet any of the key players until May. The only exception being the Islington Veterans Association who appointed me as their President and asked me to lay a wreath on Gallipoli Day in April.
By June the role became busy – the Platinum Jubilee – lighting a Commemorative Beacon in the Borough and accompanying the Mayor visiting Street Parties over the Jubilee weekend. The Borough had also recommenced regular Citizenship ceremonies and I found myself on a rota attending once a fortnight both morning and afternoon ceremonies for around 30 new Citizens in full uniform. Induction meetings needed to be arranged – Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Leader of the Council, Chief Executive, and key Cabinet Members. Outside the Council I needed to meet key figures in the community like the Borough Police and Fire Commanders, representatives of voluntary organisations, faith leaders and Youth groups.
There were also training sessions organised by the Lieutenancy on how to assess nominations for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, and How to act as an Official Greeter of Foreign dignitaries at airports and other ports of entry to the UK. There was on a more sombre note training for the implementation of ‘Operation London Bridge’.
The summer saw visits to uniformed Cadet organisations to present awards including the Combined Cadet Force, based at the Honourable Artillery Company, RAF Air Cadets, Fire Cadets, Army Cadets, and Volunteer Police Cadets. I also welcomed the Princess Royal on her visit to a Youth Charity.
September was marked by the sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the implementation of ‘Operation London Bridge’ the detailed plan for the period of Official mourning and the State Funeral. As a Deputy Lieutenant I opened with the Mayor a Book of Condolence at the Town Hall, attended a Civic memorial service followed by reading the Proclamation of the new King on the Town Hall steps. There was a special service to attend at City Hall and three shifts in my capacity as one of His Majesty’s Official Greeters. At RAF Northolt I was privileged to welcome the Crown Prince of Jordan, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, President Macron, and President Dr De Sousa of Portugal. The evening before the State Funeral I was back on the Town Hall steps for a short service and silence during which I spoke of the Queen’s contribution to the nation. As the Lieutenancy observed Royal mourning as well as the ten-day national mourning, I cancelled several City engagements that had been in the diary allowing a rest and a chance to reflect on what was undoubtedly a monumental life experience.
November was a busy time with Remembrance Services to attend and wreaths to lay and before Christmas there were Carol Services, more visits to Youth organisations and the Duke of Gloucester to welcome to St John’s Gate. I’m already planning events into 2023 with presentations of two Queens Award for Voluntary Service and one Queens Award for Enterprise wating presentation to local groups. What an honour though and I will look back on 2022 with many fond memories of my new role and yes I have met and had friendly conversations on various occasions with both Honourable members representing constituents in Islington the Rt Hon Emily Thornberry and the Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn.
Since writing this piece, unexpected invitations have arrived – because there is no Representative Deputy Lieutenant in Hillingdon at the moment (the Borough I live in) I was at the Civic Centre today to present a Queens Award for Voluntary Service and tomorrow there is an RAF Concert from the Central Band of the RAF who are based at RAF Northolt. In ten days I’m receiving the Duke of Gloucester. Still, it is all extremely enjoyable!
By Paul Herbage MBE KStJ DL Past Master
