LORD Montagu of Beaulieu has been named as president of this year's New Forest and Hampshire County Show, which takes place later this month.

The 58-year-old peer said he was "delighted" to be following in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother, who also served as president of the annual spectacular.

Staged by the New Forest Agricultural Show Society the annual celebration of rural life attracts about 100,000 visitors from across the south.

Lord Montagu succeeds the chairman of the New Forest National Park Authority, Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre, who was last year's president.

A show spokesman said: "Lord Montagu is the owner of the Beaulieu Estate and is also president of the National Motor Museum Trust, the Solent Protection Society as well as being chairman of Beaulieu Enterprises and the Countryside Education Trust.

"His mother was the society’s president in 1995 and his grandmother was president in 1947."

Lord Montagu will complete a tour of the showground at New Park, Brockenhurst, during the course of the three-day event, which starts on July 30.

He will choose his favourite section and the winner will be presented with the president’s cup during the Grand Parade of Livestock, which takes place in the Rathbones East Ring on the final day of the show.

Lord Montagu said: "I am delighted to be following both my mother and my grandmother in serving as president and very much look forward to meeting the exhibitors over the three days of the show.”

Married with no children, the peer succeeded to the title after the previous Lord Montagu died aged 88 in 2015.

He trained as a graphic designer but is also a familiar face in the world of TV, having produced a documentary about his father and a series of short films about the stars of the TV comedy series Dad’s Army.

Lord Montagu was educated at Walhampton School, near Lymington.

He is a former member of the New Forest Verderers, the organisation which represents the interests of people who own the area's iconic ponies.

Each year, the new president of the New Forest Show chooses its charity of the year. Lord Montagu has selected Citizens Advice New Forest.