Down Lieutenancy
Susan Cunningham DL greets HM The Queen before presenting her to representatives of North Down and Ards Women’s Aid, as well as to representatives of other local charities.
Picture Credit: NIO/PressEye
HM The Queen with representatives of various local charities in Newtownards, including Women’s Aid, Sure Start, Sound Around Ards (Talking Newspapers), Housing Rights and ASSIST NI.
Picture Credit: NIO/PressEye
Deputy Lieutenant John Witchell welcomes HM The King to Ards Allotments, on 21st May 2026.
Picture Credit: NIO/PressEye
John Witchell DL introduces Judith and Mark Patton to HM The King. They founded Ards Allotments 20 years ago after seeing the then Prince Charles talk about allotments on television.
Picture Credit: Newtownards Chronicle
Picture Credit: Newtownards Chronicle
Ards Allotments are near Scrabo Tower, just outside Newtownards. HM The King viewed allotments created by the service veterans’ charity Decorum and the South Eastern Trust’s staff health and wellbeing team.
Picture Credit: NIO/PressEye
Loughries Men’s Shed entertained the HM The King with their ukelele band.
Picture Credit: NIO/PressEye
Amanda Blackmore DL attended, on 26th April 2026, the dedication of a memorial in Newtownards commemorating The Royal Irish Constabulary, hosted by the RUC GC Association Newtownards Branch. This is the first memorial to be dedicated to the RIC in the island of Ireland. Two other memorials were dedicated in London, in 1937 and 1939, by the RIC ex-officers association.
The Lord-Lieutenant, Gawn Rowan Hamilton, attended the Remembrance Service in Bangor, Co Down, which was also attended by the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Gillian McCollum. He was accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet, Company Sergeant Major Zara Dowell.
Picture Credit: Co Down Spectator
In lovely weather, the Band, Bugles, Pipes and Drums of the Royal Irish Regiment played a concert in the grounds of The Castle, City Hall, Bangor, on the evening of Friday 9th May 2025, to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of VE Day.
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Catherine Champion, attended and is pictured here with the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet Company Sergeant Major Zara Dowell, the Mayor of Ards and North Down Alistair Cathcart, CEO of Ards and North Down Susie McCullough, High Sheriff Pete Leckey, Band Master Richard Douglas, and other VIPs.