The Lieutenancy of Kent - The Vice Lord Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants

The Vice Lord Lieutenant is The Viscount De L'Isle MBE DL (right), who also has special responsibilities for West Kent.

Lord De L'Isle, of Penshurst Place, near Tonbridge, was born Philip Sidney in 1945, a direct descendant of the great 16th Century soldier poet.

Commissioned in the Grenadier Guards in 1966, he served on Regimental duty in the British Army of the Rhine, Northern Ireland, Belize and Berlin. From 1974-76 he held an operational Staff appointment at Headquarters, 3 Infantry Brigade and was awarded an MBE in 1977.

He retired from the Army as a Major in 1979 to manage the Penshurst Place Estate; and chaired Kent Country Landowners Committee from 1983-85. Succeeding his father, the 1st Viscount De L'Isle VC KG, in 1991, he sat in the House of Lords from 1991-1999.

Lord De L'Isle was Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment from 1992-99. Since 1992 he has been a Trustee of Canterbury Cathedral Trust, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent in 1996. In 2004 he became a Member of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives, and a Kent Ambassador. In August 2006 he was additionally appointed Honorary Colonel of Kent Army Cadet Force.

Lord De L'Isle married Isobel, née Compton, in 1980, and they have two children: Sophia (born 1983) and Philip (born 1985).

Their family home, Penshurst Place, was judged best visitor attraction by Tourism South East in 2003.

There are a maximum of 64 other Deputy Lieutenant appointments. That may sound a lot but Kent has 1.6 million people- 25,000 per Deputy - and many villages and towns.

Deputy Lieutenants come from all walks of life and all parts of the County and are honoured for their contribution to the Nation and/or the County.

The Lord Lieutenant leads this influential network of Deputy Lieutenants and provides the organisation for their individual networks to interlock for the benefit of Kent's varied communities.

Their local and specialist knowledge and experience is increasingly being used to positive effect in key sectors ranging from education to youth services, and from business to the rural economy.

They are the eyes and ears of the Lieutenancy in our local communities and liaise closely with the local authorities with whom we have much common cause.

They advise on events potentially warranting Royal visits, on how local people can put forward others suitable for honours or for invitations to Buckingham Palace Garden Parties, and on anniversaries warranting a message from The Queen.

They also advise on how community organisations can gain recognition in The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. This award recognises the vital role played by the thousands of unsung heroes of the voluntary and community world which we in the Lieutenancy believe it is important to celebrate and encourage.