The post of Lord-Lieutenant of a county or major city is an honorary but significant appointment, whose origin dates back to King Henry VIII. A Lord-Lieutenant's responsibilities are wide ranging, and to assist him in these he may appoint a Vice Lord-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants (DL). The size and complexity of Greater London has resulted in some specific arrangements for its Lieutenancy.
Uniquely, the City of London stands apart from Greater London in this respect, having neither Lord Lieutenant nor Deputy Lieutenants. In their place, a Commission of Lieutenancy acts on behalf of the Sovereign in areas where a Lord Lieutenant would normally operate. Each year, on Christmas Day, The King appoints an additional Lieutenant for the City of London. He or she holds that appointment until death, and so the number of Lieutenants in the City of London varies from year to year.
All past lord mayors are appointed to the Commission for the duration of their time as aldermen (ie usually until their 70th birthday), along with the current LM and his/her likely successor. The other appointees (e.g. Recorder, Common Sergeant, Bank Governor, Police Commissioner, RFCA chairman etc) relinquish their lieutenancy on leaving their office.
By custom, each outgoing LM nominates one suitable new lieutenant (shown as “nominee” in the list below), and they serve for life. Occasionally, a retiring alderman is so nominated (eg Martin and Woolf below).
The work of the City's Lieutenancy is administered by its Clerk - Mr James Edwards
Remembrancer’s Office, Guildhall, London EC2Y 7HH
Listed below are the members of the Society of Lieutenants, who collectively fulfil the role in the City of London. They do so under the chairmanship of the Lord Mayor.
Name Role & Year appointed
(NB for past LMs the year shown is also date of appointment to the Commission, not the year they served as LM, which is usually the following year)
Mr Andrew Bailey Governor Bank of England 2020
Colonel John Barkshire Nominee 1989
Baron (Karan) Bilimoria Nominee 2024
Sir John Bond Nominee 2000
Alderman Sir Charles Bowman Past LM 2016
Mr Dominic Burke Nominee 2022
Major General Keith Cima Nominee 2009
Major Barnaby Cockcroft Nominee 1992 (died February 2025)
Dame Elizabeth Corley City business 2018
Colonel Larry Davis Nominee 2019
Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy de Halpert Nominee 2005
Mr Paul Double Nominee 2018
Colonel Simon Duckworth Nominee 2010
Colonel Nigel Easton Nominee 2003
Alderman Sir Peter Estlin Past LM 2017
General Sir James Everard Nominee 2020
Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia Nominee 2024
Dr Christopher Gardner-Thorpe Nominee 1981 (died 1st July 2026)
Alderman Tim Hailes
Colonel Mark Hatt-Cook Nominee 1998
Captain (RN) Paul Hill Reserve Forces & Cadets Association 2017
Major William Hunt Nominee 2012
Colonel Brian Kay Nominee 1994
Alderman Vincent Keaveny Past LM 2021
Alderman Sir Alistair King Past LM 2024
Major General Simon Lalor Nominee 2023
Dame Susan Langley Current LM 2025
Professor Roy Leighton Nominee 2006
His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft Recorder of London 2020
Alderman Sir Nicholas Lyons Past LM 2022
His Honour Judge Richard Marks Common Serjeant 2015
Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli Past LM 2023
Colonel Sir Clive Martin Nominee 1984
Air Vice Marshal Ranald Munro Nominee 2015
Pete O'Doherty Police Commissioner 2024
Major Tony O’Hagan Nominee 2007
Mr Paul Orchart Nominee 2012
Alderman Sir Andrew Parmley Past LM 2015
Air Commodore Delva Patman Nominee 2011
Major John Phipson Nominee 2004
Colonel Nigel Pullman Nominee 2013
Sir William Purves Nominee 1996
Colonel Dominic Reid Nominee 2008
Alderman Sir William Russell Past LM 2018
Vice-Admiral The Lord (Jeffrey) Sterling Nominee 1995
Air Commodore The Viscount (Hugh) Trenchard Nominee 2014
Colonel Michael Upson Nominee 1986 (died 20th October 2025)
Sir Brian Williamson Nominee 2002 (died 14th October 2024)
Dame Fiona Woolf Nominee 2012
Although Greater London has a Lord Lieutenant and a number of Deputy Lieutenants, the Reserve Forces Act 1980, which consolidated most of the Lieutenancy legislation, also recognised the City as a separate county for the purposes of Lieutenancy and the Militia. His Majesty’s Commission of Lieutenancy for the City of London is unique in that it is the only Lieutenancy which includes some ex officio members, and all members are named by the Crown as Lieutenants within the City of London. The Lord Mayor presides, primus inter pares.
This body as presently constituted owes its origins to the Second Militia Act of 1662. The Commission is issued annually under the Great Seal. It is the sole remaining Authority still empowered to levy a Trophy Tax. Under the 1662 Act Lord Lieutenants had been vested with full power and authority to array, arm and munition the Militia. To pay for the training and embodiment of the men, Trophy Money was levied locally. The Clerk to Her Majesty’s Commission of Lieutenancy makes application on behalf of HM’s Lieutenants, signed by nine of them, for the levying of the tax by submitting audited and notarised accounts to the Ministry of Defence, and requesting that a Royal Warrant be served on the Corporation of London for the payment of £4666 13s 4d. This sum was once levied monthly but was reduced to an annual payment and has remained in this amount since 1820.
On 13 March 1950 Gilbert Davis presented a paper to the Guildhall Historical Society entitled:
Notes Upon the History of the City Lieutenancy
This page was compiled by Nigel R Pullman, as noted, one of the above listed Lieutenants.
June 2019, updated at October 2025
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