The Lord Lieutenant () is the Queen's personal representative in each county of the United Kingdom. Historically the Lord Lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia, but it is today a largely ceremonial position, usually awarded to a retired notable, military officer, nobleman, or businessman in the county. The office can be considered viceregal, but not equivalent to that of a Lieutenant Governor in the Crown Dependencies, a Governor in the Overseas Territories or (until 1972) the Governor of Northern Ireland, as Lords Lieutenant have virtually no role in local government, nor are they responsible for promulgating local ordinances in the monarch's name.