Dignitaries representing the Royal Family will attend a memorial service for Major General Sir Philip Ward, former Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex.

The service is being held at Chichester Cathedral on Friday at 11am.

Hugh Wyatt, the serving Lord Lieutenant, will represent the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh while Lord Guthrie is standing in for the Prince of Wales.

There will be a considerable military presence, with representatives from the Guards' Division and other branches of the armed forces.

The mayors of Chichester and Worthing, Councillor David Siggs and Councillor Eric Mardell, will also attend, along with Ken Jones, chief constable of Sussex.

Sir Philip, who lived in Arundel, died following a long illness, aged 78. He leaves a widow, Pamela, and four children.

Mr Wyatt, his successor, said: "Philip Ward was a distinguished soldier, had a high sense of duty and a strong Christian faith. He took an intense interest in the young people of the county and never spared himself in his role as Lord Lieutenant.

"All who came into contact with him used to speak of his love of people and his life-enhancing qualities."

Sir Philip was Lord Lieutenant from 1994 to 1999, when he retired.

Following a distinguished military career, culminating in his appointment as commandant of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, he retired from the Army in 1979.

He took on various civilian appointments, including communar of Chichester Cathedral (1980-83), director of public affairs for International Distillers and Vintners (UK) (1980-89) and chairman of Peter Hamilton Security Consultants (1986-90).

He was chairman of Gifford House, the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home at Worthing, from 1979-98, and of the Royal Soldiers Daughters' School from 1980 to 1983.

He was governor and commandant of the Church Lads and Church Girls' Brigade from 1980-86.

Sir Philip was created a freeman of the City of London in 1976, appointed as deputy lieutenant of West Sussex in 1981 and served as High Sheriff for the county in 1985-86.

From 1990 to 1994, he was Vice-Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex and in 1994 was appointed Lord Lieutenant.

Other dignitaries attending include Lady Mary Mumford, Lt Col Sir Simon Bland, Lt Col Mark Bence-Trower, Lord Luce, Lt Col Sir Malcolm Ross, Sir Thomas Dunne, Peter Field, Mrs Sarah Goad, Captain Christopher Fagan, Admiral Sir Lindsay Bryson, the Duke of Richmond, Sir Richard Thornton, Mark Burrell, Mrs Margaret Johnson, Paul Rigg, Bernard Trinkwon, Sir Brian Barttelot, Col Andrew Parsons, Matthew Midlane, Maj Gen Reddy Watt, Maj Gen R Buckland, Col Tony Figg, Maj Gen Sir Desmond Langley, the Earl of Swinton, Nigel and Lady Sarah Clutton, Lord Nicholas Gordon-Lennox and the Duke of Norfolk.