lord lieutenant

Monarch's county representative

A lord lieutenant is a British monarch's representative in a county or region, serving ceremonial functions such as greeting royalty, presenting honors, and liaising with local organizations.

The position dates to the Tudor era when lord lieutenants commanded county militias.

Today the role is largely symbolic, held by prominent local figures appointed by the Crown.

In Ireland, the Lord Lieutenant historically governed on behalf of the British monarch until Irish independence.

Related

crown · magistrate · ceremonial · civil ceremony · militia · nobility · commission · sovereign · appointment · regiment · sheriff · gentry · aristocrat · landed gentry · uniform · investiture · coat of arms · royal

Opposites
appointed vs. elected authority

lord lieutenantelected official

Voter-chosen public servant

elected representative · member of parliament · councillor · mayor · assemblyman

hierarchical rank

lord lieutenantcommoner

Non-noble person

peasant · serf · subject · yeoman · private citizen

ceremonial vs. executive power

lord lieutenantprime minister

Leader of a parliamentary state

chief executive · governor · administrator · prefect · viceroy

Family

lord, lords, lordly, lordship, lordships, overlord, landlord, warlord, lieutenant

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