New Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Durham

On the 1st March 2013 Sir Paul Nicholson KCVO, Lord-Lieutenant of Durham commissioned the following to become a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Durham.
Mr Peter Barron

New Pope Elected to the Throne of St Peter

The Vatican has announced that a new Pope has been elected to the throne of St Peter. The Papal Conclave has voted Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 266th Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church.

Cardinal Bergoglio has chosen his Papal name and henceforth to be known as Pope Francis I. Pope Francis I is from Argentina he was born on the 17th of December 1936 in Buenos Aires. Pope Francis I was ordained a priest in 1969.He climbed the ranks within the Catholic Church to become Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. In 2001 he was made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II.

Pope Francis I is the first Latin American Pope. Pope Francis I is also the first Pope who is a member of the Society of Jesus commonly known as Jesuits, a religious order previously persecuted by the Catholic Church.

With the election of Pope Francis I hope the Catholic Church can face the important issues such as Child Sex Abuse within the Church, Homosexuality, Abortion, use of contraception and ordaining of Female Priests.

Royal Tour of the Middle East

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have started their nine day tour of the Middle East visiting Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman returning on the 19th March.

New Member of the United Kingdom Privy Council

Her Majesty the Queen approved the following person member of Her Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.
Stephen O’Brien MP

New Vice Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland

The Duchess of Northumberland, Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland has appointed Colonel Anthony Arthur Edward Glenton CBE TD FCA DL Vice Lord Lieutenant of the County of Northumberland.

New Deputy Lieutenants of the West Midlands

Paul Sabapathy CBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands commissioned the following to become Deputy Lieutenants of the West Midlands.
Professor Madeleine Atkins CBE
Mr Richard Boot OBE
Mr Stephen Goldstein
Mr Stewart Towe CBE

Queen Elizabeth in Hospital

Her Majesty the Queen has been taken to King Edward VII Hospital in London after showing symptoms of Gastroenteritis. The Queen was taken by private car from Windsor Castle to King Edward’s. The Queen will spend at least 2 two days in hospital for an assessment. This is the first time the Queen has been hospitalised in 10 years ago, when she required knee surgery. The Queen has cancelled or in some cases postponed all her engagements for this week including her trip to Rome with the Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen is said to be in good spirits. I wish her a speedy recovery.

New Life Peer

Martha Lane Fox CBE has been granted the title of Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho in the City of Westminster. Under the Life Peerage Act 1958 and will sit in the House of Lords as a Crossbencher.

KCVO for the Former Lord High Almoner

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) for his service as Lord High Almoner.

New Lord High Almoner

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed The Right Reverend Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester to the office of Lord High Almoner following the retirement of The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch.

The Lord High Almoner’s duties are arrange and attended the Royal Maundy service for the sovereign. If the sovereign is unable to attend the Lord High Almoner represents them.

Queen Revokes Honours

The Queen has accepted the Honours Forfeiture Committee’s advice regarding the cancellation and annulment of honours awarded to the Following.

Peter Andrew Nicholson to be stripped of an OBE awarded on 31st December 2004 after being convicted of fraud

Leslie William Smith to be stripped of an OBE awarded on 11th June 1994 after being convicted of sexual assault

David Russon to be stripped of an MBE awarded on 16th June 2001 after alleged inappropriate contact with children

Cressida Bonas a born to be Royal

Cressida Bonas is an English socialite born in 1989 daughter of 60’s it girl Lady Mary-Gaye Georgiana Lorna Curzon. Cressida was educated Stowe School in Buckinghamshire then on to Leeds University where she studied dance, following her graduation she now studies contemporary dance at The Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Cressida has recently been placed in the media spotlight because of her personnel relationship with Prince Harry of Wales third in line to the British throne. Cressida and Harry have been together since last summer and stayed in contact thought Harry’s latest deployment to Afghanistan during this time Cressida referred to herself as Harry’s girlfriend in waiting. Cressida and Harry were recently photographed by the media whilst on a ski trip in Switzerland increasing the likelihood of Cressida one day being a member of the British Royal Family.

Cressida is no stranger to titled nobility, she is Harry’s 8th cousin 1x removed on his mother’s side and 12th Cousin 1x removed on his father’s she is a descendant of some of the greatest noble family’s in British history.


Below are the lines of descent showing Cressida and Harry’s closest kinship

John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough
Lady Anne Churchill
Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill 5th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill 6th Duke of Marlborough
John Spencer-Churchill 7th Duke of Marlborough
Lady Georgiana Spencer-Churchill
Francis Curzon 5th Earl Howe
Edward Curzon 6th Earl Howe
Lady Mary-Gaye Georgiana Lorna Curzon
Cressida Bonas

John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough
Lady Anne Churchill
Hon. John Spencer
John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer
George Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer
Frederick Spencer 4th Earl Spencer
Charles Spencer 6th Earl Spencer
Albert Spencer 7th Earl Spencer
John Spencer 8th Earl Spencer
Diana Princess of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales

New Aide-de-Camp to the Queen

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Air Commodore Gerry M D Mayhew Aide-de-Camp to her household in succession to Air Commodore G D A Parker OBE after he was appointed Officer Commanding RAF Leuchars and Air Officer of Scotland.

MVO for Royal Chauffeur

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Mr Joseph Geoffrey Last RVM BEM a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) for his service as Head Chauffeur of the Royal Household.

New Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Wiltshire

Sarah Rose Troughton, Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire commissioned the following to become Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Wiltshire.
Mr Alan Fletcher
Mr Robert Ralph Scrymgeour Hiscox

New Lord Lieutenant for Warwickshire

Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Mr Timothy B Cox to become Lord-Lieutenant of Warwickshire when Sir Martin Dunne KCVO retires on the 30th of March 2013.

Royal Visit to Italy

Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh have been invited by President Napolitano of Italy to visit Rome from Wednesday 6th March to Thursday 7th March 2013.

Pope resigns the Throne of St Peter

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation as Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. The Pope is 85 years old and cited his advancing years have left him unable to fulfil the Duties of the Papacy. The announcement has come has a shock to the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope is the first to resign the Papacy since Pope Gregory XII in 1415. The Pope will formerly Retire on the 28th of February 2013 at 8pm Rome Time (7pm GMT). Following the pope’s retirement a Papal Conclave shall meet to elect a new Pontiff.

New Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Northumberland

The Duchess of Northumberland, Lord-Lieutenant of Northumberland commissioned the following to become Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Northumberland.
Commander Andrew Sheldon Collier
Air Vice-Marshal David Anthony Hurrell CB AFC FRAeS

New Member of the United Kingdom Privy Council

Her Majesty the Queen approved the following person member of Her Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby