Valerie Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers

Valerie Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers CVO (born 1939) served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset from 2006 until 2014. Upon her appointment as Lord Lieutenant in 2006, Pitt-Rivers became the first female Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and served as the representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the County of Dorset up until her compulsory retirement at the age of 75 in 2014.

Early life

Valerie Pitt-Rivers was born in Yorkshire in 1939, but left her native county to move to London to pursue a career with an Advertising Agency. During her time in London, she had a successful career working on advertising campaigns for companies such as Camay Soap.^[1] She left London after marrying her husband Anthony Pitt-Rivers, Grandson of the famous archeologist General Augustus Pitt-Rivers, and the couple moved to Anthony's ancestral country home at Hinton St. Mary, near the town of Sturminster Newton.^[2]

Lord Lieutenant of Dorset

Pitt-Rivers was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Dorset in 2006 and during her tenure organised countless royal visits to Dorset, particularly during the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012.^[3]

She was also a keen supporter of a multitude of local and national charities, and organised the Lord Lieutenant's charity cricket match each year to raise money for charity. During her tenure, Pitt-Rivers was also very supportive of local Cadet Forces and Reservist Units, and was attended on by Lord Lieutenant's Cadets at most of her military and civil appointments.

Upon her retirement from the post of Lord Lieutenant of Dorset in 2014, she was appointed as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) for her personal services to The Queen and members of the Royal Family.^[4]

On her retirement, Pitt-Rivers was succeeded in the office of Lord Lieutenant of Dorset by Ian Angus Campbell, former leader of Dorset County Council.

References