Lord Lieutenant of Bristol facts for kids
Have you ever wondered who represents the King or Queen in your local area? In the city of Bristol, that special person is called the Lord-Lieutenant of Bristol.
This important role was created just for Bristol on 1 April 1996. Before that, Bristol was part of a larger area called the county of Avon. From 1974 to 1996, Bristol's Lord-Lieutenant was the same as the one for Avon. Even earlier, Bristol was usually part of the Gloucestershire lieutenancy. There was a short time, from 1660 to 1672, when it was part of the Somerset lieutenancy instead.
Contents
What is a Lord-Lieutenant?
A Lord-Lieutenant is the King's or Queen's personal representative in a county or city. They are chosen by the monarch to serve in this important position. Their main job is to uphold the dignity of the Crown. This means they help to promote a sense of national pride and community spirit.
Lord-Lieutenants often welcome members of the Royal Family when they visit their area. They also present awards on behalf of the King or Queen. For example, they might present The King's Award for Voluntary Service to local volunteer groups. They also help to support local charities and community projects. It is a non-political role, meaning they do not get involved in party politics.
Bristol's Special History with Lord-Lieutenants
For many years, Bristol did not have its own separate Lord-Lieutenant. It was usually included in the larger county of Gloucestershire. This changed when the county of Avon was created in 1974. Bristol became part of Avon, and so it shared a Lord-Lieutenant with that county.
Then, in 1996, the county of Avon was abolished. This meant that Bristol became a separate area for local government. Because of this change, Bristol was given its very own Lord-Lieutenant. This person now represents the monarch specifically for the County and City of Bristol.
Early Representatives for Bristol (before 1974)
Before 1974, Bristol was mostly covered by the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. However, there were a few times when specific people were appointed to represent the King or Queen for Bristol.
- Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert served from 30 July 1660 to 22 December 1660.
- James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde held the role from 22 December 1660 to 22 August 1672.
- Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort served again from 22 August 1672 to 22 March 1689.
After these specific appointments, Bristol went back to being part of the Gloucestershire lieutenancy until 1974.
Lord-Lieutenants of Bristol from 1996
Since Bristol became its own lieutenancy in 1996, three people have held the important role of Lord-Lieutenant.
- Sir James Napier Tidmarsh was the first Lord-Lieutenant of Bristol. He served from 1 April 1996 until 2007.
- Mary Prior took over the role on 17 September 2007. She served until 2017.
- Peaches Golding became the current Lord-Lieutenant of Bristol on 24 April 2017. She is still serving in this position today.
