New Cornish Lord Lieutenant appointed

Col Bolitho's work as Lord Lieutenant will include co-ordinating royal visits

The new Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is to be Colonel Edward Bolitho, Downing Street has announced.

The appointment by The Queen will see Col Bolitho, 55, become her personal representative in the county.

He will succeed Lady Mary Holborow when she retires from the post in September.

He will be following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sir Edward Bolitho, who was Lord Lieutenant between 1936 and 1962, Cornwall Council said.

Col Bolitho was born in Penzance in December 1955 and brought up in Cornwall.

He served in the Grenadier Guards for 20 years, returning to manage his family businesses near Penzance in 1998.

Col Bolitho is married to Alexandra, and the couple have three children: twin daughters and a son.

He is currently Cornwall's High Sheriff until March 2012 and a Deputy Lieutenant.

The appointment will see him take on a wide range of duties. They include co-ordinating royal visits, presenting honours and awards on behalf of the Queen, promoting the honours system and supporting the armed forces.

He will also encourage the voluntary and charitable sectors, as well as taking part in citizenship ceremonies and chairing committees which appoint magistrates.