Lord Alfred Tennyson was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets. Engraving from 1878, photo by D Walker.

Carol Ann Duffy has been appointed the first female Poet Laureate by Her Majesty The Queen, succeeding Andrew Motion.

She will take on the honorary Royal post for a fixed-term of ten years, which is awarded to a poet whose work is of national significance.

The author, who is best known for her collection The World’s Wife, is also the first Scot to be named Laureate.

The laureateship came into existence in 1668 when King Charles II gave John Dryden the official title. Past Laureates have included Dryden, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Betjeman and Hughes.

The role has changed over time – originally the office involved writing court odes to mark occasions such as the Sovereign’s birthday, but today the position is purely honorary.

 An acclaimed poet and playwright, Duffy, 53, is the author of numerous award-winning poetry collections, plays, and fairy tales and poetry for children, publishing over 30 books in total.  Awarded an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2002 for services to Poetry, she lives in Manchester where she is Creative Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.

She has asked for her annual honorarium as Poet Laureate to be paid to the Poetry Society to help fund an annual prize for the best collection of poetry published each year.  She is working with Buckingham Palace on this idea, and further details will be available in due course.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “She is a truly brilliant modern poet who has stretched our imaginations by putting the whole range of human experiences into lines that capture the emotions perfectly and I wish her well for her ten year term.”

Announcing her appointment at Manchester Metropolitan University today (1 May 2009), Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said: “Carol Ann Duffy is a towering figure in English literature today and a superb poet. I am delighted that she has accepted the Laureateship.  She will be a very worthy successor to Andrew Motion whose approach to the role has done so much to revive public interest in the post.  His achievement has been outstanding and I pay tribute to his exceptional public service during his period as Laureate.”

Carol Ann Duffy said: “I’m very honoured and humbled to become Poet Laureate, not only when I think of some of the great poets who have occupied the post since the 17th Century, but when I think of some of the wonderful poets writing now.

“In accepting this Laureateship, I hope to contribute to people’s understanding of what poetry can do, and where it can be found.”