What does it mean to be Lincolnshire’s royal representative?
After a momentous couple of years in the royal calendar we catch up with the monarch’s representative in the county.
Since 2015, Toby Dennis has been the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire. It is a role that dates back to the 1500s, when Henry VIII appointed the first Lord Lieutenants to organise the county’s militia against threats of invasion from France and Scotland.
This responsibility was removed from the role in the late 1800s, and today the Lord Lieutenancy is an honorary position, apolitical and unpaid. However, each Lord Lieutenant is still personally appointed by the monarch to be his or her representative in their respective counties.
For Mr Dennis, it all came as a bit of a surprise. Recalling the moment 10 years ago when he was first considered for the role, Toby explained,
“There’s a position in the cabinet office whose job it is to find the replacement Lord Lieutenant. They write to people across the county to ask about the kind of qualities they would like to see in their county’s representative.
“After a bit of research into names put forward, about 20 or so individuals are invited to what they call a ‘consultation’. I’d just come off the back of my year as the county’s High Sherriff, so when I was invited for a consultation at County Offices, it was a surprise.
“I then got a letter through on Christmas Eve 2014 to tell me my name was being put forward to the Queen; quite the unique Christmas present. And, about three weeks later, I received an official letter saying ‘Her Majesty has approved your appointment.’
Toby Dennis then took over as Lord Lieutenant for Lincolnshire on 23 February.
“There’s no official handover from one Lord Lieutenant to the other,” he added. “There’s a sort of guidebook that explains protocols and things, but that’s all it is, a guide. The prime thing, obviously, is to maintain and uphold the dignity of the crown.”
Lincolnshire receives seven or eight royal visits each year. Most notably last year, King Charles III made his first visit to the county as monarch in July when he visited Saltfleetby, part of the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve, where the Lord Lieutenant was there to greet him.
In Mr Dennis’ home office, you will find pictures of him alongside members of the royal family during visits to the county. The invitation to King Charles III’s coronation also sits in a frame on top of the piano. But it is not these big regal occasions that Toby treasures most.
“It’s fabulous to go around the county and see the fantastic work being done by organisations, charities, community groups and individuals,” he said.
Toby is keen to see more people in Lincolnshire recognised through the Honours system, or with a King’s Award for enterprise or voluntary service.
“Anybody can nominate anybody”, he was keen to point out. “When people have been nominated in Lincolnshire, the honours secretariat send them through for me and the Deputy Lieutenants to validate.”
Since our meeting with the Lord Lieutenant, the Palace announced that the King has been diagnosed with cancer. Toby wrote to the King to pass on well wishes for his speedy recovery on behalf of the county.
You can find out more about nominating someone for an honour or a King’s Award at www.gov.uk/honours.
Find out more about the role of the Lord Lieutenant for Lincolnshire, or invite a representative to an event in the county, at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lieutenancy.