Dione Grimston, Countess of Verulam

{{short description|English painter}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable

|name = The Countess of Verulam

| honorific_suffix = LL

|image =

|caption =

|birth_name = Dione Angela Smith

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|7|19|df=y}}

|birth_place =

|occupation = Artist

|spouse = John Grimston, 7th Earl of Verulam

|children = James Grimston, Viscount Grimston
The Hon. Hugo Guy Sylvester Grimston
Lady Flora Grimston
The Hon. Sam George Grimston

|parents = Jeremy Smith
Julia Burrell

|website = {{Official website|http://www.dioneverulam.com/}}

}}

Dione Angela Grimston, Countess of Verulam, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}} (née Smith; born 19 July 1954) is a British artist and former Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.

The daughter of Jeremy Smith and Julia Burrell, she is maternally granddaughter of Sir Walter Burrell, 8th Baronet. She married John Grimston, 7th Earl of Verulam, on 12 September 1976. Lord and Lady Verulam have four children:

• James Grimston, Viscount Grimston (b. 6 January 1978)
• Hon. Hugo Guy Sylvester Grimston (b. 5 November 1979)
• Hon. Sam George Grimston (b. 18 October 1983)
• Lady Flora Grimston (b. 28 September 1981)

The Countess of Verulam served as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 2002 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire in June 2007 following the retirement of Sir Simon Bowes-Lyon.[http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page12073.asp Number10.gov.uk » Lord-Lieutenant for Hertfordshire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212154507/http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page12073.asp |date=2012-02-12 }}, number10.gov.uk; accessed 8 June 2017. She served until July 2017 and was the first woman to hold that office. She was succeeded by Robert Voss.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-of-hertfordshire-robert-voss|title=Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire: Robert Voss|date=4 August 2017|access-date=20 September 2018}} She was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2019 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette|issue=62666|supp=y|page=B4|date=8 June 2019}}

Lady Verulam has worked on churches, Cliveden Hall and Hambleton Hall, and has exhibited her paintings in two solo exhibitions at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London.{{cite web|work=MutualArt|title=Dione Verulam Biography|url=https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Dione-Verulam/E9AA22A340785B1E/Biography}}

{{cite news|title=Lady Verulam to be first female Lord Lieutenant |url=http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/local/lady-verulam-to-be-first-female-lord-lieutenant-1-1193192|access-date=15 November 2012|newspaper=The Gazette|date=22 June 2007}} She is the patron of Home-Start St Albans.{{cite news|title=Countess of Verulam is new patron of Home-Start St Albans|url=http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/countess_of_verulam_is_new_patron_of_home_start_st_albans_1_3511671|newspaper=Hertfordshire Advertiser}} A keen artist, Lady Verulam specialises in collages and has her works exhibited in collections across the UK, America, Switzerland and Spain.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricketfineart.co.uk/artists/180-dione-verulam/overview/|title=Dione Verulam|website=Cricket Fine Art|language=en|access-date=2018-05-08}}