The King has been pleased to appoint Mr Brian Wyndham Payne, MStJ, DL, as His Lord-Lieutenant of Berwickshire, to succeed Mrs Jeanna Swan following her retirement on 1st March 2026.

Background

Brian was born in Leamington Spa and educated at Aysgarth Prep School and Winchester College, going on to study Geography at Bristol University. Brian then joined The Royal Artillery, serving first in West Germany and then two operational tours in Ulster. He commanded the Left Section and then became Adjutant of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, retiring in 1991 at the rank of Captain. Brian then completed a Diploma in Law at City University, attending the Inns of Court School of Law and becoming a Barrister in 1993. He was a Crown Advocate from 2001-2011 and is currently a Criminal Prosecutor in the Courts in North Eastern England. Brian has served on the board of various charities, including the HighGround Veterans Charity and Berwickshire Civic Society. He led on the introduction of the new 'Flag for Berwickshire', closely involving local schools in the process of designing and selecting the flag. Brian was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Berwickshire in 2022.