The choice for the next Lieutenant Governor has been made - but we won’t find out who it is until later this summer.

The current governor, Sir Richard Gozney, is due to retire from the post in August. An ’open recruitment process’ was launched earlier in the year.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle told Tynwald that the field of candidates was ’significant in size and impressive in quality’.

He said: ’The recommendation of the local selection panel has been notified to the (UK) Ministry of Justice for approval by the Queen and we hope to have a formal announcement about His Excellency’s successor later this summer.’

Preparations are already underway to get ready for the swearing-in ceremony, which will see a return to the traditional location of Castle Rushen. Sir Richard’s swearing-in took place in Douglas in 2016.

A year later, Tynwald approved a motion calling for a return to Castletown, but construction work in the castle was needed.

Mr Quayle admitted: ’The progress at Castle Rushen has been hampered by challenges in the local construction sector as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the intention of the swearing-in committee is that the ceremony will indeed take place in the courthouse at Castle Rushen.’

Live streaming of the swearing-in ceremony is planned.

The ceremony will take place in the courtroom of the castle.

Mr Quayle said it had ’fallen into a state of disrepair’ but Manx National Heritage commissioned a renovation, due for completion at the end of this month.

Initial work highlighted further problems.

’The 1970s fittings, carpets, ceiling and heating systems have been stripped out,’ said Mr Quayle. ’This revealed evidence of further failure of the roof and the fabric of the walls.

’Manx National Heritage’s own team are working with the contractor to complete the building works by the end of June and the room will be suitably decorated with new lighting, electrical services and heating.’

There was no impact on the overall budget, said Mr Quayle.

The suspended ceiling installed in the 1970s will not be replaced and instead the ceiling will be ’re-profiled to reveal the glazed cupola in the roof’ said Mr Quayle, recreating the character of the room from the 19th Century.

It will also mean the old courtroom will be available for ’wider use’ in the future.

Mr Quayle was responding to questions from Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew).

The Lieutenant Governor is the British monarch’s representative in the island. The role is largely ceremonial these days but the incumbent once had much more power and presided over sittings of Tynwald.

These days, the governor only presides at the ceremonial Tynwald Day sitting in St John’s - and then only if there is no member of the Royal Family present.

In its modern day format, the role includes promoting the island’s interests, representing the Queen on ceremonial occasions and hosting Royal and VIP visits at the official residence, Government House.

The Lieutenant Governor also has a range of executive functions and exercises delegated authority to give royal assent to laws brought forward by Tynwald.

Last year, Sir Richard declared a state of emergency to pave the way for lockdown.