Ralph ('Rafe') Griftin was brought up just outside Monmouth, where his family have lived since the 14th century. Following school, he worked on a Texas cattle ranch before attending the Koyal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Life Guards in 1984. As a young officer, his tours of duty were spent in Cyprus and in South Armagh. Squadron command tours were spent with the Life Guards in Germany; with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London, providing State Ceremonial duties, and with the Household Cavalry Regiment, which included visits to Bosnia, Egypt and Canada.

Staff appointments included tours in HQ Berlin Infantry Brigade, 160 (Welsh) Brigade, the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow, and in Sarajevo. On returning from the Balkans, he took command of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, leading the Regiment in the Queen's Birthday Parades, State Openings of Parliament and various State Visits.

On leaving London, he was posted to be Chief of Staff in the Armour Centre at Bovington, overseeing the provision of vehicles to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He worked for the US Forces in Kabul. Ralph then returned to work in a Tri-service position in Joint Warfare, preparing NATO's very high readiness forces. His final post in the MOD was overseeing Tri-service welfare.

On leaving the MOD, he became Chief Operating Officer of Glass Door, a charity supporting homeless people. He is currently an MOD Civil Servant, working in Horse Guards, supporting the Household Cavalry. He has been privileged to ride in uniform on the Platinum Jubilee, march on Operation London Bridge, and ride as part of HM the King's entourage at the Coronation.

He is a graduate of the Staff College and has gained Masters degrees from both Cranfield University and King's College London.

Ralph is married to Louise, a New Zealand lawyer, and they have two children, Eleanor and Charles, who are both London-based lawyers.

The High Sheriff has a legal duty to appoint an Under Sheriff on a yearly basis, whose duty is to advise the High Sheriff on matters of law, provide a link to the judiciary, and amongst other duties, to officiate at the High Sheriff's Declaration Ceremony. Natalie read Classics at Oxford University and later converted to law. She was called to the Bar in 2000 at the Middle Temple. Natalie practises as a barrister specialising in divorce finance and aspects of civil law at 9 Park Place, Cardiff. She also sits as a Deputy District Judge on the Wales Circuit and holds civil, public and private family law authorisations.