HM The Queen appointed The Countess of Verulam DL as Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant for Hertfordshire upon the retirement of Sir Simon Bowes Lyon KCVO in June 2007.
The Countess of Verulam (Dione) is married to the Earl of Verulam. They have four grown-up children. 'Lady Verulam as an artist has undertaken various stencilling commissions including at Cliveden and Hambleton Hall, several churches and for private clients and decorators. In 1980 she was a co-founder of Verona Stencilling. She was High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 2002/3. Lady Verulam has served on Resources Acceptance in Lieu of Tax Panel, was a Thames and Chilterns regional committee member of the National Trust from 1991 to 1998, was on the Properties Committee of the National Trust from 1997 to 1999 and is President of Gade Valley NADFAS. Lady Verulam was Patron of the St Alban's Cathedral Campaign and was a Trustee of St Alban's Cathedral Fabric Trust and she is Patron of the Fraternity of the Friends of Saint Albans Abbey. Lady Verulam is President of the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust and wrote and illustrated the Gorhambury gardens guide in 1993. She is an active supporter of Amber, which works to help young, long-term unemployed people. Lady Verulam has been a Liveryman of The Goldsmiths' Company since 2005.
Throughout the last ten years Lady Verulam has regularly exhibited her paintings at exhibitions in London and elsewhere. Lady Verulam's last exhibition was at the Sladmore Gallery, Bruton Place in London during February 2010. She helps to run the house and estate at Gorhambury. Lady Verulam enjoys travelling, skiing, riding, the theatre and opera, reading and sewing.
The Lieutenancy has the following Patronages
The Lord Lieutenant is President of: