Duchess appointed as Lord Lieutenant
THE Duchess of Northumberland has made history by becoming the first woman to be given a centuries-old role as the county's official representive of the Crown.
The Duchess, Jane Percy, has been appointed by the Queen as the new Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, a ceremonial post which dates back to the reign of King Henry V111.
She succeeds Sir John Riddell, who gave up the post when he reached his 75th birthday in January, after serving as Lord Lieutenant for almost a decade.
The Duchess, who created the Alnwick Garden tourist attraction next to her family's ancestral home at Alnwick Castle, was given the role on the recommendation of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who consulted the minister for the North East Nick Brown.
She is the Queen's official representative in Northumberland, with responsibility for organising all official Royal visits to the county.
