The Hindu : Front Page : Appointed Lord-Lieutenant of England

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Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Appointed Lord-Lieutenant of England

Aarti Dhar

Chennai-born Sabapathy will be the senior-most royal representative in West Midlands
He was also the first non-white Chairman of a British University

NEW DELHI: British national of Indian origin Paul Chandrasekharan Sabapathy, Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Central England, has become the first non-white Lord-Lieutenant of England.

The announcement appointing him Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands was made by the Queen last weekend. He will be the senior-most Royal Representative in the West Midlands and the Queen’s Personal Representative in the County.

Mr. Sabapathy, 64, was also the first non-white Chairman of a British University. The West Midlands covers Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley covering 3.5 million people. There have been only two previous holders of this office since 1974, when West Midlands County was established.

The previous holders of the Lord Lieutenancy of the County of West Midlands were Lord Aylesford and Sir Robert Taylor.

Born in Chennai, Mr. Sabapathy moved to the U.K. in 1964 when he was 21 after studying at Lawrence School, Lovedale and Madras Christian College. He completed a Masters Degree from Aston University and qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant becoming a British citizen in 1984. After a 28-year career in the industry holding senior positions with leading companies, he retired as Assistant Managing Director of IMI Titanium in 1996. He became the Chief Executive of North Birmingham Community NHS Trust, serving until 2000.

Lord-Lieutenants are the monarch’s representatives in their lieutenancy.

It is their foremost duty to uphold the dignity of the Crown. Nowadays the responsibilities of the Lord-Lieutenant include managing all aspects of visits by members of the Royal Family, and escorting Royal Visitors, presentation of awards and medals on behalf of the Queen, representing the Queen at a variety of events, chairmanship of the Advisory Committee which recommends the appointment of magistrates to the Lord Chancellor; liaison with local units of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, and with the Reserve Forces and Cadets, and participation in civic and voluntary activity within the lieutenancy.

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