One of last great men to lead by example

WELL we have laid to rest one of the last great men to lead by example, who carried out his duty on behalf of Queen and Country.

On the day of the funeral I took myself up river, past the naval college, and stopped and said a prayer in a beautiful spot on the River Dart – a spot that His Royal Highness knew very well, as does the Queen from her holidays as a sea ranger with her sister Margaret.

Then I went paddle boarding on a beautiful South Devon day, in a place that all the royal family know from their time in naval training.

I was home in time for the service and to pay my proper respects.

I was widowed in my forties, and I remember waking up after the very best funeral I could give her and thinking, ‘What do I do now?’

It was the love given to me by others that got me through it... do you know, I actually found casseroles left on my doorstep.

And there is nobody more loved then our Queen.

There was only one hitch in the whole day for me. I live very close to my doctor’s surgery and it turns out they had a second jab leftover. I fitted the age criteria so they came looking for me, but couldn’t find me, or contact me as I’d left my mobile phone in my life jacket.

When I returned home, my neighbour very proudly said: “I just had your second vaccination! Waste not, want not!”

But my doctors are always there to look after me and I have needed looking after in the past.

The only thing that really marred my day was seeing people sneaking into a local Airbnb. Unlike Prince Philip, who led a life of duty and was an example to us all. I do wonder if people of his kind will come again!

Kevin Pyne Dartmouth