Skegness Magazine

News story date 4th May 2006

Duke of Kent visits Skegness

HRH The Duke Of Kent visited Skegness RNLI lifeboat station today.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Skegness, other digniatories, the lifeboat crew and their families and crowds of people, including pupils from the local Richmond Primary School, eagerly awaited the arrival of the Royal Visitor.

The arrival of the Duke was heralded by the whirring sound of the Royal helicopter overhead.

The Duke alighted from his car…

…much to the delight of the school children who were cheering and frantically waving their lifeboat flags.

The Royal visitor walked over to the awaiting line of Digniatories, shook hands and chatted with them.
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant (Deputy Lieutenant), Tony Worth is to the right of the Duke of Kent in the photo below.
Skegness digniatories meet Duke of Kent

Her Majesty’s Lord Vice-Lieutenant DL Tony Worth

photograph of Her Majesty’s Lord Vice-Lieutenant DL

below: the Duke of Kent talking to the Mayor of Skegness, Coun Brian O’Connor.
Duke of Kent and Mayor of Skegness
The RNLI Lifeboat Crew were the next in line to meet the Duke.
below:John Irving, coxswain of the lifeboat (right), introduces the crew to His Royal Highness.

Duke of Kent meets Skegness lifeboat crew

Duke of Kent talks to Skegness lifeboat men

After the formal introductions, The Duke of Kent moved into the lifeboat station to meet the crew’s families. He showed a keen interest in the pictures of past lifeboats and crews which are displayed on the walls.

Duke of Kent looking at lifeboat photographs

Never far behind His Royal Highness, constantly scanning the crowd, were the Duke’s Royal bodyguards, (Personal Protection Officers).

Royal bodyguards (PPO)

below: children from the local primary school meet the Royal Visitor.

The Duke went over to the children and talked and laughed with them.School children waving lifeboat flags during Royal visitDuke of Kent meets Skegness school children

To conclude his visit, His Royal Highness said his farewells to the digniatories and the coxswain…

Duke of Kent with Skegness lifeboat coxwain and Mayor
The Duke of Kent left the Skegness Station in his car and headed on to his next visit which was the lifeboat station in Cleethorpes.

Mayor of Skegness

After the Duke’s departure, the Mayor of Skegness, Coun Brian O’Connor kindly agreed to comment on the Royal Visit.

Mr Mayor said it was absolutely fabulous that the Duke of Kent had visited Skegness and that he was doing a good job raising the profile of the RNLI. The Mayor added that the Duke of Kent had commended both the inshore and offshore lifeboat crew and that his visit had been good publicity for Skegness.

“It’s been a win win day for Skegness”, the Mayor declared.

The visit from the Duke of Kent lasted about an hour and was a huge success. His Royal Highness was extremely friendly with the crowd and very tolerant of the local press.

A member of HM Coastguard, Skegness talked to Skegness News on Video just after the visit. He said that the lifeboats had been meticulously cleaned and polished the day before the visit, ready for Royal Inspection. Unfortunately, the crew was called out to an emergency by a fisherman who reported seeing a man in the water at about 8.30 on the eve of the Royal Visit. Both lifeboats were launched.
The crew then had the task of restoring the lifeboats to their former gleaming condition just hours before the Royal Inspection.

Reportage style photos of the Royal Visit to Skegness

More about the Duke of Kent’s Visit

His Royal Highness visited eight RNLI lifeboat stations in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 May.
The Duke of Kent is President of the RNLI and the visits to the lifeboat stations gave him an opportunity to meet volunteer crew, their families, fundraisers and other supporters, as well as to tour the lifeboat stations and view the lifeboats.
During the visit, His Royal Highness travelled across the Humber from Grimsby to Spurn Point on board Humber Lifeboat Station’s Severn class lifeboat, Pride of the Humber.
The two day visit started on Thursday 4 May at Skegness Lifeboat Station. The Duke then travelled to Cleethorpes Lifeboat Station and on to Grimsby Docks to board the lifeboat. He disembarked at Spurn Point and visited Humber Lifeboat Station. His final visit of the day was to Withernsea Lifeboat Station.
On Friday 5 May, His Royal Highness will start the day with a visit to Bridlington Lifeboat Station. He will then go to Flamborough Lifeboat Station, Filey Lifeboat Station and, finally, Scarborough Lifeboat Station.
Andrew Ashton, the RNLI’s Divisional Inspector in the North, said: ‘RNLI volunteers at the eight lifeboat stations very much looked forward to The Duke of Kent’s visit, which was organized at his request.
‘As President of the RNLI, The Duke of Kent takes a keen interest in the work of the institution and these visits gave him an excellent opportunity to find out more about the work of our volunteer crew and other supporters.’

Skegness Lifeboat Launch Video