The British monarch’s personal representatives, the Lord-Lieutenants and the counties’ High Sheriffs, share their hopes for the new duchy
With their diaries already packed when the royal wedding was announced, the Lord-Lieutenants of East and West Sussex missed the ceremony itself.
But Peter Field, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, still sensed the wider effect the marriage ceremony had on the county. “It lifts the spirits of everybody,” he says. “I don’t think there is anyone in the US who doesn’t know that Sussex exists. The worldwide audience was between two to three billion – and they all know about Sussex. That can only be really beneficial to the county.”
Both Lord-Lieutenants and the High Sheriff for East Sussex, John Moore-Bick, were at Chichester Cathedral for a service to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.
Susan Pyper, Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex, believes even ardent republicans couldn’t fail to be moved by the royal wedding. “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of old-fashioned pride,” she says.
“There was always a fondness for Prince Harry, as there has been for Prince William, with the terrible loss of their mother. To be able to welcome him and his wife Meghan to the Duchy of Sussex will be hugely special.”
She says both Lord-Lieutenants offices have been inundated with requests for patronage and visits by the royal couple. She and the Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex are keen to take a joint approach – ensuring both counties receive equal attention.
But she urges caution to those expecting the royal pair to be visiting every week. “They have other duties and responsibilities as well as Sussex,” she says.
This story is from the July 2018 edition of Sussex Life.
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This story is from the July 2018 edition of Sussex Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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