TEDDINGTON RNLI VOLUNTEER HAS A DATE WITH THE KING
A long-serving volunteer crew member of the Teddington RNLI has been invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party by His Majesty, The King.
King Charles has just been announced as the new Patron of the RNLI, succeeding Queen Elizabeth and marking the 200th anniversary of the life-saving charity.
The Garden Party guests on May 23 will include RNLI fundraisers, volunteers and crew members past and present and Angus Prentice, a volunteer for 20 years, from the Teddington crew will be amongst them’
Delighted Angus said, ‘What a wonderful way to celebrate the RNLI 200th anniversary and the commitment of all those involved with the charity. Many thanks to His Majesty, our new patron.’
RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie said: ‘All volunteers, supporters and staff will be extremely proud that The King has honoured the RNLI with His Majesty’s patronage.
‘This is particularly so in the 200th anniversary year of the institution as we reflect on all that has gone before in the reigns of His Majesty’s forebears, together with the RNLI’s bright future as we head into our third century of lifesaving.”
The King has a long history with the RNLI and has made several visits to lifeboat stations and sites over the years.
The most recent was a visit to St Ives RNLI Lifeboat Station in July last year accompanied by Queen Camilla as part of Their Majesties’ first official visit to Cornwall following the Coronation.
A month earlier, Mark Dowie presented His Majesty with five trees at The Duchy of Cornwall’s Poundbury development near Dorchester, in Dorset.
The trees were part of the RNLI’s gold-medal winning garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2022 and were donated as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – a living legacy of more than three million trees planted across the UK in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
His Majesty’s first ever RNLI engagement was on 7 July 1964 when, as the then Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness accompanied The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Princess Royal to Cowes on the Isle of Wight to observe the sea trials of a new Waveney class lifeboat.
