Tributes to long-serving former Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dame Ingrid Roscoe

Tributes have been paid to the former Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dame Ingrid Roscoe, who died suddenly on Sunday.
Dame Ingrid Roscoe pictured in 2018. Picture: Gary LongbottomDame Ingrid Roscoe pictured in 2018. Picture: Gary Longbottom
Dame Ingrid Roscoe pictured in 2018. Picture: Gary Longbottom

Ed Anderson, who took over the role in 2018, said Dame Ingrid, who served the role with “love, energy and devotion” for 14 years, would be greatly missed.

Mr Anderson became great friends with Dame Ingrid when he was High Sheriff of West Yorkshire and the pair would regularly attend the same events.

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He said: “Our paths would always cross and we struck up a friendship.

“In the run up to my taking over as Lord-Lieutenant, she was incredibly helpful and supportive and I have kept in touch with her since she passed on the baton.

“She was always curious about others and a genuinely warm and loving person who spread joy wherever she went. .

“It was amazing to think she did the role for 14 years, which by any measure is an incredible service to West Yorkshire and she will forever be loved and revered here.”

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The ancient office of Lord Lieutenant, which can be traced back to Tudor times, entails considerable responsibility upon its holder, whose role involves escorting royal visitors to the county, representing The Queen at events and presenting honours on behalf of the Crown.

Dame Ingrid was bestowed with a Damehood in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Before she became the North of England’s first woman Lord-Lieutenant, she was made a Deputy Lieutenant in 1994 and became Vice Lord-Lieutenant in 1999.

An acclaimed art historian, she combined her long-standing time in the post with a host of voluntary roles for notable local organisations such as Yorkshire Historic Churches and the National Mining Museum.

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She was also a trustee of York Minster, President of the Leeds Philharmonic Society, President of the Royal British Legion in West Yorkshire, President of the Calderdale Community Foundation, Commander of the Order of St. John and member of the Governing Council of the University of Huddersfield. She was a patron of the Prince’s Trust for West Yorkshire, Yorkshire Archaeological Society and Huddersfield Choral Society

As an art historian, she held a doctorate for her research in 18th century British sculpture, gained from the University of Leeds, where she also studied for her Bachelor of Arts degree.

She later returned to the university as a lecturer during the 1990s and was presented with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in July 2010.

Dame Ingrid was editor-in-chief and co-author of a definitive dictionary of British sculptors. She was a trustee of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, among her many other voluntary positions and key roles.

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In 2007, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the University of Huddersfield.

On her retirement from office in 2018, she told the Yorkshire Post how she planned to take an Open University degree in ancient civilisations, said: “I could have done one more year - you retire at 75.

“But I reckon, it’s time to think about other things.”

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