The Honourable Alexandra Knatchbull is to take over from her father, Lord Brabourne, as patron of The Mountbatten School, at Romsey.

The school was built on Broadlands Estate land donated by the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who officially opened it in 1974.

Earl Mountbatten, the school’s founder patron, designed the school uniform, which includes his heraldic crest, the Order of the Garter (the highest order of chivalry) on the blazer.

Following his assassination in 1979, Earl Mountbatten’s grandson, then Lord Romsey who later succeeded to his father’s title of Lord Brabourne, became school patron. In a statement issued this week, the school said: “We are grateful to Lord Brabourne for his steadfast support and ongoing interest in the school. However, it has been necessary for Lord Brabourne to reduce his public commitments,”

“We are delighted that the Honourable Alexandra Knatchbull has accepted our invitation to become the school’s third patron. We look forward to welcoming her to the school and continuing our close association with the Mountbatten family.”

In 2012, Alexandra made history twice over when she became the first female president of Romsey and District Scouts and at the age of 29, the youngest person to hold the position.

She also became patron of Romsey Sea Cadets in 2012.

Alexandra, who studied theology at Regent’s Park College Oxford, and International Security at Georgetown University, in the USA, is a senior analyst at FTI Consulting, a global business advisory firm.

She is great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and a third cousin twice removed of the Queen. Through Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, she is the third cousin of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.