HISTORIC POST DATES BACK TO TIME OF KING HENRY VIII
Lady Haughey is Her Majesty’s representative in Lanarkshire and spoke about her role to our reporter Stefanie (inset) Rise from humble days at school
Lady Susan Haughey is Lanarkshire’s 22nd Lord Lieutenant, following Mushtaq Ahmad OBE.
Lord Lieutenants were first appointed by King Henry VIII to assume the military duties of the Sheriff.
Today, the Queen appoints Lord Lieutenants, on the advice of the Prime Minister, to be her representative in their counties.
Their duties are varied and include organising and escorting all official royal visits to their counties presenting decorations when the recipient is unable to attend an Investiture, and presenting the Queen’s Awards for Export and Technology, and the Queen’s Scout and Guide awards.
Lord Lieutenants also brief the Queen’s private office about issues relating to their counties, assist in Royal garden parties, and assess nominations both personal and for The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
In Lanarkshire, the Lord Lieutenant also officiates at diamond wedding anniversari e s, 100th birthday celebrations and citizenship ceremonies.
L a d y Ha u g h e y ’s predecessor, Mr Ahmad, was appointed back in 2010.
He had previously served as a local councillor, for almost two decades, with Hamilton District and South Lanarkshire Council.
He was also elected Provost of South Lanarkshire in 2003 and, as Scotland’s first Asian provost, held this post until his retirement in 2007.
Lanarkshire’s longest serving Lord Lieutenant to date is Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton.
He held the position from his appointment in November 1802 until he passed away August 1852 at the age of 84. Lady Susan Haughey grew up in the Gorbals, but has lived in Lanarkshire for the past 37 years.
After leaving Holyrood Secondary school, she and her husband, Willie, set up City Refrigeration Ltd .
She explained:“I left school at 16, and my husband and I didn’t have an O level between us. He was a fridge engineer, and I knew I could do business.
“We now have 14,000 employees across the UK, Austria, Malaysia, France and the USA. We remember that if it wasn’t for the people who work for us, we wouldn’t be where we are.”
In 2002, Lady Haughey and her husband set up the City Charitable Trust, and have since donated over £9 million to deserving causes.
Lady Haughey is also a director of Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride.
She said:“I got involved with Kilbryde after my friend’s daughter passed away. The hospice provides care for anyone who has a terminal illness.
“There was already a hospice in North Lanarkshire so we felt like we needed one in South Lanarkshire. The place doesn’t feel like a hospice, it is very bright and colourful”.
Lady Haughey was awarded the Loving Cup in October 2015 by the Lord Provost, and won the Women of Influence Award in 2016. She also received a CBE in 2016.