Nigel Atkinson Esq
The Lord-Lieutenant is HM The King’s personal representative in Hampshire.
Duties
The Lord-Lieutenant is responsible for the organisation of all official Royal visits to Hampshire and on the day of an engagement he escorts the Royal visitor around the various locations. He also carries out other duties in the County, such as the presentation of decorations and the King’s Awards for Enterprise and Voluntary Service. The Lord-Lieutenant has close links with the military and is Vice-President of the South-East Reserve Forces and Cadet Association, Honorary Colonel of the 4th Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment and an Honorary Captain (Retd) of the Royal Navy.
Education and career
The Lord-Lieutenant was born in London and educated at Haileybury & Imperial Service College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Following six years with the Royal Green Jackets, he joined the Brewing industry and now has a portfolio of non-executive positions. He was Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers in the City of London in 2010 and was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John in 2015.
Charities
The Lord-Lieutenant is involved with numerous charitable groups in the county and is Patron or President of many of these, including: SSAFA Hampshire, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, Veterans Outreach Support, The Roberts Centre Portsmouth, Trinity Winchester and the Rowans Hospice Waterlooville.
Youth organisations
The Lord-Lieutenant has had a particular interest in Youth Organisations for many years, following his own service in the Combined Cadet Force. He is President of Hampshire Scouts and Youth Options and Patron of the Hampshire Constabulary Volunteer Police Cadets. He was Honorary Colonel of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ACF 2009-2025. He is also Patron of the King Edward VI’s School in Southampton and President of the Sparsholt College Group.
Personal
The Lord-Lieutenant is interested in all sports and regularly skis and plays tennis. In his earlier days he played club, league and county squash across Hampshire. His family home is in Alresford and he and his wife, Christine, have a son and two daughters.
