End of an era for Lord Lieutenant

After 11 hugely successful years, Willie Tucker, Lord Lieutenant for Derbyshire, reflects on his time in office

- Pat Ashworth

The past few weeks have not been the build-up to retirement that Willie Tucker had either planned or anticipated. After 11 years as Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, he had thought these would be six of the busiest months of his period in office. The lockdown means they have turned out, in fact, to be six of the quietest.

The British monarch’s personal representative in the county is managing to remain philosophical about it all, despite the enforced cancellation of two Royal visits planned for June, one by HRH The Duke of Gloucester and one by HRH The Countess of Wessex. The Lieutenancy had organised a farewell dinner for Willie and his wife, Jill, which has been postponed, and the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire were to host a reception for the couple in the Painted Hall at Chatsworth a few days prior to his July retirement date.

‘And what we were really looking forward to was getting around the county and especially all the organisations with which we have been involved for the last 11 years, just to say our thanks and goodbyes,’ he says ruefully, adding, ‘We can push a lot of it into the autumn. It is much tougher for civic heads and especially for the High Sheriff, who is a quarter of a way though the year already and nothing is happening. It’s very hard on them.’