Welcome to the website of The Surrey Lieutenancy

Here you can find information and updates on the role and activities of the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux, and the ways in which the Lieutenancy supports and impacts on the life, business and communities of our county.

• The Lord-Lieutenant
• Roles and History
• Latest News

The role and mission of the Surrey Lieutenancy is to serve the Sovereign and connect the communities of the county. This brings the Lieutenancy two core responsibilities: 

– To uphold the dignity and position of the Crown by assisting and representing it in all aspects of the life of Surrey.

– To support the values the Crown represents by celebrating, inspiring and promoting the vibrancy of county life.

The year 2024 can be described as a roller coaster of a year.  The troughs of the year have included the cost-of-living crisis which has continued from 2023. This has hit so many families and has been a real challenge for many peoples’ quality of life. 

Last year I recounted my experience of visiting a considerable number of food banks.  We have over 80 in Surrey and I’m sad to say that while they are doing a wonderful job in supplying food, their need has increased to local communities. We have also seen the number of people affected by homelessness increase. 

The county and the country were shocked earlier in the year to learn of His Majesty The King’s cancer diagnosis. This was followed by the news that The Princess of Wales was also receiving cancer treatment.  I know that we all hope and pray that our King and future Queen will be back to full health in the immediate future.

There are however many positives which have happened in our wonderful county during the year.  I spoke last year of the new Lieutenancy newsletters, we have published two in the last twelve months, including a supplement for the commemorative events of D-Day 80.  We will be developing the newsletter in the coming year but in a slightly different format.

So many excellent events were put on in villages, including Normandy, Cranleigh, Farnham, Headley,  Epsom and Capel, to name but a few, and finally Guildford where the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR) exercised the Freedom of the Borough of Guildford and at the same time we commemorated the 80^th Anniversary of D-Day. 

The National commemoration held on Southsea Common in the presence of His Majesty The King, Her Majesty The Queen, and the Prince of Wales, for all of us who had the privilege of attending it was an unforgettable event.

During the year a total of 35 National Honours have been awarded to Surrey residents.  In November we received exciting news that Surrey had been awarded nine King’s Awards for Voluntary Service.  This was a really excellent result.  The Award does so much to underline and bring to the notice of others, the extraordinary work of the volunteers who give their time to support so many different charities.  Very often if it was not for these volunteers the work would just not be carried out.  A considerable number of Deputy Lieutenants have presented Lieutenancy appreciation awards to a number of individuals who have been outstanding in their contribution to the community.

We look forward to many events in 2025, including Surrey Day, which does such a wonderful job in showcasing some of Surreys wonderful venues, and the 80^th Anniversary of VE-Day and VJ Day .

On behalf of the Surrey Lieutenancy, many I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and may 2025 be an uplifting and peaceful New Year for you all.

Michael More-Molyneux

HM Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey