Elizabeth Helen Curzon, Countess Howe (''née'' Stuart; born 12 November 1955), is a British peeress, educator and philanthropist who has served as

Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire There has been a Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire almost continuously since the position was created by King Henry VIII in 1535. The only exception to this was the English Civil War and English Interregnum between 1643 and 1660 when there was n ...

since 27 November 2020.

Early life and education

Lady Howe was born Elizabeth Helen Stuart on 12 November 1955 to Burleigh Edward St Lawrence Stuart (1920–2004) and Joan Elizabeth Platts (died 2001). She was raised in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-eas ...

and was educated at

Headington School Headington School is an independent girls' school in Headington, Oxford, England, founded by a group of evangelical Christians in 1915. The '' Good Schools Guide'' called Headington "A delightful school, hichnurtures and entertains its pupils ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

. She obtained a

Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...

from the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

Career

After completing university, Lady Howe began teaching in

Newmarket Newmarket may refer to: Geography Australia *Newmarket, Queensland ** Newmarket Air Raid Shelter ** Newmarket railway station, Brisbane **Newmarket State School **Newmarket State High School *Newmarket railway station, Melbourne *Big_Stable_Newmar ...

and London. She has worked as a

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and volunteer music teachers in schools in

. In 1995, Lady Howe was made a deputy lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. She served as

High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. Sheriff is the oldest secular office under th ...

from 2010 to 2011. She was appointed

on 26 June 2020. She took office upon the retirement of

Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 8th Baronet Sir Henry Egerton Aubrey-Fletcher, 8th Baronet (born 27 November 1945), is the former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. He is the grandson of Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, who previously held the office from 1954 to 1961. Biography The only so ...

, on 27 November 2020. She is the first woman to hold the position, which was established in 1535 by

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...

. Lady Howe holds a number positions in local charitable organizations. She is chairman of Heart of Bucks Community Foundation, patron of Milton Keynes Islamic Art, Heritage and Culture, and president of the

Epilepsy Society The Epilepsy Society (formerly known as the National Society for Epilepsy) is the largest medical charity in the field of epilepsy in the United Kingdom, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. Based in Chalfont St Peter, Bu ...

. In 2023, as lord-lieutenant, Lady Howe attended the

coronation of King Charles III The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, Camilla, as List of British monarchs, King and List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms ...

with her husband.

Marriage and family

On 26 March 1983, Elizabeth Stuart married Frederick Curzon. The following year, Curzon succeeded his second cousin as 7th

Earl Howe Earl Howe is a title that has been created twice in British history, for members of the Howe and Curzon-Howe family respectively. The first creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was in 1788 for Richard Howe, but became extinct on hi ...

, thus making his wife Countess Howe. The Earl and Countess have four children: Lady Anna Curzon (born 19 January 1987); Lady Flora Curzon (born 12 June 1989); Lady Lucinda Curzon (born 12 October 1991); and Thomas, Viscount Curzon (born 22 October 1994). The family resides at Penn House in

Penn Penn may refer to: Places England * Penn, Buckinghamshire * Penn, West Midlands United States * Penn, North Dakota * Penn, Oregon * Pennsylvania ** Penn, Pennsylvania * Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania * Penn Township (disambiguation), several munic ...

, Buckinghamshire.

Honours

Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

: ** 5 July 1990: Serving Sister (now Member) (SStJ) ** 15 July 1997: Officer (Sister) (OStJ) ** 18 April 2017: Commander (Sister) (CStJ) * UK King Charles III Coronation Medal BAR

UK King Charles III Coronation Medal BAR

6 May 2023:

King Charles III Coronation Medal The King Charles III Coronation Medal is a commemorative medal created to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023. United Kingdom Design The medals are made of nickel silver. The obverse features a crowned effigy ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, Elizabeth Curzon, Countess of Living people 1955 births

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

People from Buckinghamshire People educated at Headington School Alumni of the University of Cambridge British countesses British women philanthropists High sheriffs of Buckinghamshire Lord-lieutenants of Buckinghamshire