Carol Ann Duffy Becomes UK's First Openly Gay Poet Laureate

The UK has appointed Carol Ann Duffy as its first openly gay poet laureate. She is also the first woman to hold the post.

Duffy, who once said "no self-respecting poet" should have to write verses about the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II's youngest son, will be expected to produce poems for royal weddings, funerals and other state occasions. A witty and popular writer whose work is widely taught in British schools, Duffy is also the first openly gay laureate. Duffy said she had thought "long and hard" before accepting the job, which now has a 10-year term. "I look on it as a recognition of the great woman poets we have writing now," she told the BBC.

The job pays £5000 annually.