The 1805 Dispatches #21.DofE April 2021 8 (Continuation from p6) As usual, we stationed the real V.I.P.s around the ballroom so that we could be sure of having them introduced and greet the Royal Couple. The Apostolic Delegate was not one of this select group. He did come up to speak to HRH and he was festooned with religous medals. This was only ten years after the war so there were a lot of medals in evidence. HRH looked at him and said, "My, you have been through the wars" and moved on – to the delight of the ADCs because the Apostolic Delegate had been in South America during WWII. In 1967 Her Majesty and HRH had just been on a state visit to Spain before coming to Canada. One of them, it may actually have been Her Majesty, was describing the trip. The custom was that people threw rose petals or rice. HRH was saying that they drove in an open car and there were so many petals that every few minutes he had to bail them out of the car as they were standing knee deep. That was not the worst problem. When they were driving from village to village they would move right along. Those on the road-side threw rice. It was like shotgun pellets at 20 miles an hour. They not only stung but stuck to your teeth. Not all royal outings are grand. I was also ADC to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1994-2001. From Mal Nicholson This is the day Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh saluted me and my crew, special VIP guests aboard Humber Super SloopSpiderTonthe Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on the Thames. We were representing Lincolnshire and The Sailors’ Children’s Society. Despite the fact that Prince Philip was in a lot of pain with a kidney infection he stood in the cold and rain probably wet through carrying out his duty to our Queen on her Jubilee before being admitted to hospital. Sincere condolences to our Queen and the Royal Family. From Alison Reijman, former Club Council Member I attended the wonderful Trafalgar Way reception at Windsor Castle on 9th November 2007, hosted by the Duke of Edinburgh. Though I did not meet him on that occasion, I wrote up this memorable occasion for theKedge Anchor (Issue No.20, November 2007). However, in 2005, I was presented to the Duke on the main deck of theCuttySark. The occasion was the 40th anniversary of the National Trust's Neptune Coastline Campaign. I had had to take voluntary redundancy from the National Trust, but they very kindly invited me back for the reception because of the work I had undertaken to promote the campaign: also SeaBritain, the nationwide festival inspired by the Bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, in which I had been deeply involved before my reluctant departure from the Trust. After being introduced to His Royal Highness, I enjoyed some drinks and nibbles before the formal dinner on board CuttySarkstarted. That was my cue to leave and walk on over to the National Maritime Museum, which was holding a special private viewing of its new Nelson and Napoleon Exhibition for 1805 Club members that evening. That was an incredibly interesting but busy evening in Greenwich! From Dennis Robinson-Welsh I met Prince Philip on two occasions both of which were at charities that he supported. On the �irst occasion we discussed the Outward Bound Trust as I had attended the Moray Sea School in 1958 as an Admiralty apprentice. The Trust had almost failed due to �inancial problems and we were both relieved that it had survived – in the main thanks to him, although he was too modest to say so! The next occasion I introduced some of my team to him, one of whom was my Head of Human Resources. He turned to move on and then hesitated and turned back and said, “People are not sacks of coal you know.” Being stuck for words all that came out of my mouth was “Well, it is an American expression” to which he replied “Humph” and moved on. A role model, a natural leader and an inspiration to countless young – and not so young – lives. He will be missed, but his legacy will live on through the lives that he touched, and the organisations that he founded, supported and inspired. Photo: Nick Moulds
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