Installation of the new Lieutenant-Governor

Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell was sworn-in at a special ceremony at St James on Tuesday 15th February.

A full Royal Court sitting took place when Lieutenant General Cripwell was sworn in as the next Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Island of Guernsey and its dependencies.

The weather held out and the rain held off as Lieutenant General Cripwell set off on foot from Government House accompanied by various military personnel including local veterans, representatives from Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, the Band and Bugles of The Rifles and a contingent from the Guernsey Troop of the Jersey Field Squadron. 

The parade marched down The Queen's Road and The Grange where children from all the local schools had gathered en route to cheer and wave flags. The Lieutenant General was resplendent in his full military regalia complete with bicorne hat adorned with the traditional swan feathers flying in the wind. Finally we were all treated to a flypast by a Poseidon of Guernsey's Own 201 Squadron, Royal Air Force, recently reinstated at Kinloss before everyone headed into St James for the official bit. 

After the ceremony, the new Lieutenant-Governor and his immediate family walked down to the sunken gardens to lay a wreath at the RGLI Memorial and another at the War Memorial before stopping to have a chat with veterans and the Standard Bearers and finally heading into the Royal Court for a reception in his honour.    

Lunch followed for the great and the good to meet the man behind the uniform. The following day, he returned to the UK and immediately back to Turkey to finish his stint in the Military and do a handover of his role at NATO to the next incumbent. The Bailiff will once again step in as Deputy Lieutenant-Governor whilst His Excellency is off-island and the whole family will return at the end of March ready for the fun to really begin...