Her Majesty the Queen has appointed His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge KG KT to the position of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2020.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will be the Queen’s personal representative within the Church of Scotland. As the Lord High Commissioner, His Royal Highness will carry out the opening and closing addresses at the General Assembly.
Saturday 25 January 2020
Tuesday 14 January 2020
High Sheriffs of Northern Ireland for 2020/2021
The following people have been appointed High Sheriff for the Counties of Northern Ireland for 2020/2021.
Northern Ireland
For County Antrim
2020/2021: Mr Rupert Cramsie
For County Armagh
2020/2021: Mr Michael Frederick Dickson
For County Down
2020/2021: Mr Austin Richard Baird
For County Fermanagh
2020/2021: Mrs Breda Ann McGrenaghan BEM
For County Londonderry
2020/2021: Mr Ross Wilson BEM
For County Tyrone
2020/2021: Mr Gordon Aiken BEM
For County Borough of Belfast
2020/2021: Councillor Nicola Angela Verner
For County Borough of Londonderry
2020/2021: Mr James Richard Doherty
Northern Ireland
For County Antrim
2020/2021: Mr Rupert Cramsie
For County Armagh
2020/2021: Mr Michael Frederick Dickson
For County Down
2020/2021: Mr Austin Richard Baird
For County Fermanagh
2020/2021: Mrs Breda Ann McGrenaghan BEM
For County Londonderry
2020/2021: Mr Ross Wilson BEM
For County Tyrone
2020/2021: Mr Gordon Aiken BEM
For County Borough of Belfast
2020/2021: Councillor Nicola Angela Verner
For County Borough of Londonderry
2020/2021: Mr James Richard Doherty
New Deputy Lieutenant of County Antrim
David McCorkell, Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim has commissioned the following person to become a Deputy Lieutenant of County Antrim.
Mrs Jacqueline Elizabeth Stewart MBE
New Lord Lieutenant of Kent
The Lady Colgrain DL has been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to become Lord Lieutenant of Kent to succeed The Viscount De L’Isle CVO MBE who retires on 21st April 2020.
New Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
Mr James Saunders Watson DL has been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to become Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire to succeed Mr David Laing.
New Honorary Nurse to Her Majesty The Queen
Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Colonel Alison E. B. Farmer ARRC to the position of Honorary Nurse within her Royal Household in succession to Colonel Alison L. McCourt OBE ARRC who has retired from the role.
Wednesday 8 January 2020
My Thoughts on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Statement
8th January 2020
Today Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced that they will be stepping back from their role as ‘senior’ members of the royal family. The announcement comes after the Sussexs recently returned to the United Kingdom following an extended break in Canada.
This announcement will likely come as a shock to a lot of people - me included - I was not expecting the Sussexs to step back from their role as ‘senior’ members of the royal family until the children of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reached the age where they could take on the role of ‘working’ royal. It seems that the break in Canada has given them the time to reflect on their role in the royal family, allowing them to reach this outcome. The break followed what has been a difficult relationship with the media, which included the Sussexs taking ongoing legal action against media publishers.
Their Statement goes on to state that they wish to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. This will likely mean they wish to longer be supported by
This I feel will likely prove difficult for them to achieve and could result in future media controversy around the income sources they choose. I feel they are likely to draw a personal income from the substantial inheritance His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex received from his mother Diana, Princess of Wales. I feel it is unlikely Her Royal Highness The Duchess will return to acting and instead focus on her philanthropic endeavours.
The costs of The Duke and Duchess undertaking charitable non-state engagements will likely be met by their new Royal Foundation backed by donations and private sponsorship. This is not a new thing for members of the royal family to do, Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent fund their charitable efforts themselves.
I feel they must not allow the image of the Royal Family to be brought into disrepute so no - ‘tell all books’ or participating in television shows akin to The Osbournes in order to maintain financial independence.
Moving on, the statement goes on to state that they wish to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America. This will likely mean they will maintain both their residence at Frogmore Cottage and a yet to be revealed location in ether the United States of America or Canada from where they have recently returned. I always thought given the Duchess’s close ties to both nations the Sussexs having a second residence in either country was a strong possibility.
The statement goes on to state their wish to raise their son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born. A statement I find contradicting given their pervious statement regarding Archie’s title and style as a member of the royal family and their wish for him to be treated as a ‘normal’ person.
In closing, the Sussexs state they wish to continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties and will reveal more details of their new roles in the future.
Today Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced that they will be stepping back from their role as ‘senior’ members of the royal family. The announcement comes after the Sussexs recently returned to the United Kingdom following an extended break in Canada.
This announcement will likely come as a shock to a lot of people - me included - I was not expecting the Sussexs to step back from their role as ‘senior’ members of the royal family until the children of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reached the age where they could take on the role of ‘working’ royal. It seems that the break in Canada has given them the time to reflect on their role in the royal family, allowing them to reach this outcome. The break followed what has been a difficult relationship with the media, which included the Sussexs taking ongoing legal action against media publishers.
Their Statement goes on to state that they wish to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. This will likely mean they wish to longer be supported by
- The Duchy of Cornwall which funds HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their family as well as TRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son.
- The Sovereign Grant which funds the wider Royal Household and provides funds to support the occupied royal residencies.
This I feel will likely prove difficult for them to achieve and could result in future media controversy around the income sources they choose. I feel they are likely to draw a personal income from the substantial inheritance His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex received from his mother Diana, Princess of Wales. I feel it is unlikely Her Royal Highness The Duchess will return to acting and instead focus on her philanthropic endeavours.
The costs of The Duke and Duchess undertaking charitable non-state engagements will likely be met by their new Royal Foundation backed by donations and private sponsorship. This is not a new thing for members of the royal family to do, Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent fund their charitable efforts themselves.
I feel they must not allow the image of the Royal Family to be brought into disrepute so no - ‘tell all books’ or participating in television shows akin to The Osbournes in order to maintain financial independence.
Moving on, the statement goes on to state that they wish to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America. This will likely mean they will maintain both their residence at Frogmore Cottage and a yet to be revealed location in ether the United States of America or Canada from where they have recently returned. I always thought given the Duchess’s close ties to both nations the Sussexs having a second residence in either country was a strong possibility.
The statement goes on to state their wish to raise their son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born. A statement I find contradicting given their pervious statement regarding Archie’s title and style as a member of the royal family and their wish for him to be treated as a ‘normal’ person.
In closing, the Sussexs state they wish to continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties and will reveal more details of their new roles in the future.
My closing thoughts are as follows: I think it’s too soon, this should have been done once HRH The Prince of Wales had become King and the transition of power from the Queen had successfully passed.
In the coming years the younger ‘working’ members of the royal family will be taking on a much bigger role and to say you’re stepping back from a position when the hardest part has yet to happen is in my view a negative. In the long term their role in the royal family will become akin to that of the Wessexs; undertaking engagements and supporting the Sovereign but not receiving the same attention as the Cambridges.
This move I think will likely allow the Sussexs greater freedom from the Royal Household, allowing them to control the narrative they wish to put to the public - whether that will be a positive or a negative - I reserve judgment until I see it, but I do have reservations.
When it comes to media attention I think it will only intensify, the coverage will become about what they are doing and how they are doing it on their own, independent of the Royal Household. As for the Cambridge Vs Sussex narrative, I think it will not die down and it will likely get worse. This will sadly be something I feel will not end for many years to come.
This move has been made by the Sussexs to benefit them personally, allowing them to try and juggle having a more private life and still undertake state engagements. Will it be successfully received by the public and work towards the long term benefit of the monarchy, it waits to be seen.
In the coming years the younger ‘working’ members of the royal family will be taking on a much bigger role and to say you’re stepping back from a position when the hardest part has yet to happen is in my view a negative. In the long term their role in the royal family will become akin to that of the Wessexs; undertaking engagements and supporting the Sovereign but not receiving the same attention as the Cambridges.
This move I think will likely allow the Sussexs greater freedom from the Royal Household, allowing them to control the narrative they wish to put to the public - whether that will be a positive or a negative - I reserve judgment until I see it, but I do have reservations.
When it comes to media attention I think it will only intensify, the coverage will become about what they are doing and how they are doing it on their own, independent of the Royal Household. As for the Cambridge Vs Sussex narrative, I think it will not die down and it will likely get worse. This will sadly be something I feel will not end for many years to come.
This move has been made by the Sussexs to benefit them personally, allowing them to try and juggle having a more private life and still undertake state engagements. Will it be successfully received by the public and work towards the long term benefit of the monarchy, it waits to be seen.
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