Sue Freestone, principal and chief executive of King’s Ely since 2004, has been appointed one of six new deputy lord lieutenants of Cambridgeshire.

Her appointment was confirmed by the lord lieutenant Julie Spence who said her “considerable skills and experience will be extremely useful in supporting me in the execution of my duties”.

She said: “The role is voluntary and we currently have 38 deputy lieutenants across the county.”

Mrs Freestone’s background includes being invited in 1998 by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to serve on the first steering group for the Independent State School Partnership.

She is currently engaged in setting up a collaborative educational partnership in East Cambridgeshire. Mrs Freestone has been involved with a number of initiatives with the Diocese of Ely, and was a founder trustee of the Diocese of Ely Multi-academy Trust, and a governor of Mepal and Witcham Primary School.

She is also a lay canon and sub-deacon of Ely Cathedral

Mrs Spence said: “As a lieutenancy, we will willingly attend and support community and charitable events and help anyone seeking to nominate an individual for an honour, or an organisation for the Queen’s Awards for Voluntary Service or the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.”

Lord-Lieutenants are The Queen’s personal representatives in the county or area. Their prime duty is to uphold the dignity of the Crown by arranging visits by members of the Royal family and escorting Royal visitors

“Their overarching responsibility is to promote their county,” said Mrs Spence.