Duchess of Northumberland given a unique honour

May 19 2009 by David Black, The Journal

THE Duchess of Northumberland has made history by becoming the first woman to be given a centuries-old role as the county’s official representative 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 VIII.

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.

Her appointment continues a long and proud association between the Percy family and the post of the county’s Lord Lieutenant.

The Duchess’s father-in-law Hugh Percy, the 10th Duke of Northumberland, held the position from 1956 to 1984, before he was succeeded by Viscount Matthew Ridley of Blagdon, who served until 2000. Eleven other members of the Percy family have held the post since the late 1400s.

The official Downing Street announcement says the Duchess is well known in the county for a wide range of activities and interests, is involved with many charities supporting the elderly and disabled and takes a great interest in Northumberland and its people.

The Duchess, who is married to Ralph, Duke of Northumberland and has two sons and two daughters, is currently abroad and was unavailable for comment yesterday.