Doctor of Law
A passionate advocate of Hampshire, from its culture to its countryside.
A resident of Hampshire for over 50 years, Lady Mary Fagan was Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire from 1994 to 2014 and a patron or president of 60 organisations county-wide during that time. She remains actively involved with a number of them today.
In 2005, Lady Mary became the first Chancellor of the University of Winchester, where she served for 10 years. She is a long standing and passionate supporter of Winchester Cathedral and was instrumental in its first appeal, over 25 years ago, to raise £7 million. More recently, as Chair of the Winchester Cathedral Development Trust, she steered the capital fundraising appeal for £20.5 million to a successful conclusion.
Brought up in the country, Lady Mary has a real understanding of the rural community and issues relating to the countryside. A term as President of the New Forest & Hampshire County Show led to a long association with the show, now as Patron. She was particularly delighted when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited it as part of the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Tour.
Hampshire is the home of the Armed Forces and Lady Mary has always valued her close association with the military across the county, especially enjoying work with cadet forces. In 2014, she was made an Honorary Rear Admiral in the Royal Naval Reserve. She has also been Honorary Colonel of two Territorial Army regiments and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Cadet Force.
She is a Dame of the Order of St John, High Steward of the City of Winchester, was granted Honorary Freedom of the City of Southampton and of the New Forest (2013), was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (2009), and received a Companion of the Order of St Swithun (2017) for her outstanding service and contribution to Winchester Cathedral. In 2018, she was appointed Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.