A new Vice Lord Lieutenant for Cornwall has been chosen after an announcement that Michael Galsworthy CVO CBE will be formally standing down as Cornwall’s Vice Lord Lieutenant on Thursday, 10 April after 12 years in the role.

“Michael has made an outstanding contribution to Cornwall in his twelve years as the Vice Lord Lieutenant” said Lord Lieutenant Edward Bolitho. “This has included spearheading a number of projects including the development of the Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for Youth, the Trelawny Plate and the Millennium Book.

“I am delighted he will be staying on as a Deputy Lieutenant and will, I know, continue to make a major impact on the life of Cornwall”.

The Lord-Lieutenant is Her Majesty The Queen's personal representative in Cornwall, with the appointment made by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. Although the role is a historic one, today’s Lord Lieutenants fulfill a wide range of duties.

These include co-ordinating Royal visits, presenting certain honours and awards on behalf of The Queen, promoting the honours system and supporting the Regular Armed Forces and the Reserves. They also encourage the voluntary and charitable sectors, as well as taking part in citizenship ceremonies and chairing the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committees which appoint magistrates.

The Lord Lieutenant appoints deputies to assist him in these duties, with the number depending on the size of the population of the local area.

Cornwall currently has 23 Deputy Lord Lieutenants. Cornwall’s new Vice Lord Lieutenant will be Ellen Winser, MBE. Ellen, who became a Deputy Lieutenant in 2003, was one of the first women to become a Member of the London Stock Exchange and the first to be taken into partnership by a London firm.

She and her husband retired in 1990 to go sailing and then spent the next five years wandering around the world. They bought a house in Cornwall in 1986 and have lived here full time since 1995 when they returned to dry land.

Since moving to Cornwall Ellen has become involved with a range of organisations, including the National Maritime Museum Cornwall which she chaired from 2002 until earlier this month, and Truro and Penwith College which she has chaired since 2004.

She has also served on the boards of Cornwall Care, Plymouth University, Sutton Harbour Holdings plc, Pendennis Shipyard Holdings and the South West Regional Development Agency. She is currently the President of Truro Three Arts Society and has been a panel member of the Lord-Lieutenant’s Fund for Youth since the inception of the fund. She was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to higher and further education.

“I am delighted to say that The Queen has approved the appointment of Ellen Winser as the new Vice Lord Lieutenant” said Lord Lieutenant Edward Bolitho.

“I know that she will put her very many talents to excellent use in the service of the Lieutenancy and of Cornwall.”

Ellen is looking forward to taking on her new role. “I feel greatly honoured to be asked to take on this role and am very conscious that Michael Galsworthy has set the bar very high” she said.

“I will certainly do my best and very much look forward to the opportunity to learn more about Cornwall and to do what I can to promote its interests.’