HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER, who celebrated her eightieth birthday this year, has been concerned with the RNLI for more than a third of its history, for her active support of the lifeboat service goes right back to the Institution's centenary in 1924, 56 years ago. Since 1937, Her Majesty has been one of our Patrons.

By the time that Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married HRH The Duke of York, on April 26, 1923, the Duke was already a keen supporter of the RNLI, having attended several lifeboat events and been an annual subscriber to the Institution's funds for a number of years. The Duchess was herself soon to become involved in helping the RNLI, for on May 20, 1924, little more than 12 months after their marriage, she and the Duke made a tour of Kensington, Fulham, the City and the West End, thereby greatly helping to raise extra funds on what was the RNLI's centenary flag day in London.

The Duchess became only the fourth member of the Royal Family to name a lifeboat when, on September 1, 1926, she named the new Montrose boat. The Duke and Duchess travelled to Montrose from Glamis Castle accompanied by her father, the Earl of Strathmore, and the ceremony was witnessed by nearly 10,000 people, the day being observed as a local holiday. The new lifeboat was a single-engined 45ft 6in Watson and, after the usual ceremonial, the Duchess stepped forward and released a bottle of Australian wine, which smashed across the bows of the lifeboat as she named her John Russell.

Afterwards, the Duke and Duchess made a tour of the docks in the new lifeboat, to the loud cheers of the assembled crowd. On stepping ashore, the Duchess was presented with a bouquet by the six-year-old grand-daughter of Coxswain William Stephen. During the evening there was a grand firework display, with portraits in fireworks of the Duke and Duchess of York, and of the John Russell.

On January 16, 1928, the Duke and Duchess of York accompanied HRH The Prince of Wales, President of the RNLI, to a grand gala performance of the film 'The Black Journey', a record of the Citroen expedition through the whole length of Africa. The gala was presented at the Plaza Theatre, London, and the theatre was full, the distinguished audience contributing over £1,000 towards RNLI funds.London's lifeboat day in 1931 was held on May 19, and once again the Duchess of York greatly helped by visiting several of the collecting depots in the City. Then the next year the Duchess named another lifeboat, again in Scotland. This was at Arbroath on August 31 and the town and harbour were gaily decorated for the occasion, with thousands of people packing every vantage point. The new lifeboat was a single-engined 35ft 6in self-righter and, following a service of dedication, the Duchess named her John and William Mudie.

When, on February 9, 1940, in the troubled years of the second world war, John and William Mudie rescued seven of the crew of the bombed hopper barge Foremost despite continued bombing and crossfire between German aeroplanes and British minesweepers, one of the first messages ofcongratulations received by Coxswain William Swankie and his crew came from Queen Elizabeth. Coxswain Swankie was awarded the bronze medal for gallantry and each member of his crew received the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum.

Following the accession of King Edward VIII in 1936, the Duke of York consented to assume the office of President of the RNLI, a post he was to hold for only two months, for on December 11 he acceded to the throne as King George VI. In January, 1937, he consented to become Patron of the RNLI and the next month Queen Elizabeth also agreed to become a Patron of the Institution.

The war years followed quickly, and then, on February 6, 1952, King George died. A telegram of sympathy was sent by the Institution to the Queen, to which Her Majesty replied, assuring everyone that the message was deeply valued.

When Walmer lifeboat station, in Kent, reached its hundredth anniversary in 1956, it was Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother who visited the station on May 23 formally to hand over the centenary vellum. Later that same year, on August 18, the Queen Mother named another Scottish lifeboat, this time at Thurso. The boat was the first of the 47ft Watson class to be built and the thirty-first to be presented to theInstitution by the Civil Service Lifeboat Fund. Her Majesty named the boat Dimnet Head (Civil Service No.

31) and later went for a short trip in her.

Sadly, this lifeboat was only launched once on service for, in a disastrous fire on December 10, 1956, both the lifeboat and her boathouse were totally destroyed.

On April 27, 1962, during a visit to the Scilly Isles, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother inspected St Mary's lifeboat station and met Coxswain Matthew Lethbridge, Jnr, and his crew. Later that year Her Majesty paid a visit to the lifeboat display staged by Thurso ladies' guild during their local lifeboat week.

The whole country was deeply shocked by the loss of the crew of eight men in the capsize of Longhope lifeboat TGB on March 17, 1969. Under the command of Coxswain Daniel Kirkpatrick, the holder of three silver medals for gallantry, the lifeboat had been launched at 1930 from the island of Hoy, in the Orkneys, into a severe gale with exceptionally heavy seas to go to the aid of the 2,600-ton Liberian cargo vessel Irene. Before the lifeboat could reach the steamer, she was overwhelmed by mountainous seas in the turbulent waters of the Pentland Firth. Messages of sympathy poured in from all over the world and one of the first to send a telegram of sympathy to the wives and relatives of the men who died so tragically was the Queen Mother.

As a lasting tribute to the memory of those eight gallant men, a bronze statue of a lifeboatman was erected in Osmond wall cemetery, Orkney, and on August 9, 1970, the Queen Mother visited Longhope to unveil this statue.

Her Majesty, who was staying at the Castle of Mey, in Caithness, at the time, spent some time talking to the widows and families of the men who had died before attending a memorial service in Walls Old Kirk, Longhope, where she unveiled a plaque recording the names of the eight lifeboatmen.

In December, 1970, two new lifeboats sailed together from their builder's yards on the south coast of England on a journey of some 1,000 miles of sea trials and final delivery to their respective stations. Both boats were of the steel-hulled, self-righting 48ft 6in Solent class and one was destined for Longhope. The other boat was for Thurso and on August 11, 1971, the Queen Mother drove to Thurso from the Castle of Mey, to name the new boat. Speaking of the crew of our lifeboats. Her Majesty said: 'Their devotion to duty, their enthusiasm and selfless voluntary work combine to form a service which is admired throughout the world.' Her Majesty then named the new lifeboat The Three Sisters and went on board for a trip out into the Pentland Firth, taking the wheel under the guidance of Coxswain Gilbert Reid.The Year of the Lifeboat', 1974, when the RNLI celebrated its 150th anniversary, began with a service of thanksgiving and dedication in St Paul's Cathedral on March 4. This service was attended by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the Duke and Duchess of Kent; the nave was lined by lifeboatmen and the Cathedral was filled with lifeboat people from all over Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The sermon was preached by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, and the first lesson was read by Rabbi Dr Leslie Edgar. The Moderator of the Free Church Council was present, as also would have been Cardinal Heenan had he not been prevented by ill health. Afterwards the Queen Mother sent a message to Captain Nigel Dixon, director of the RNLI, saying how much she had enjoyed being at such a moving and historic occasion and expressing her warmest good wishes for the future.

The Queen Mother visited Jersey, in the Channel Islands, on May 30, 1975, to name St Helier's new 44ft Waveney class lifeboat, the money for which had been raised entirely within Jersey. As a tribute to one of the island's most famous lifeboatmen. Her Majesty named the new boat Thomas James King. It had been on September 14, 1949, that Coxswain Thomas King had taken his lifeboat in among very dangerous rocks, in the pitch dark, to rescue the crew of four from the yacht Maurice Georges, a daring rescue for which he was awarded the gold medal. After the naming ceremony, Thomas King, who was then aged 89, was presented to Her Majesty, who spent some time talking with him.

The next day, the Queen Mother returned to Portsmouth on board the Royal YachtBrittania and, as she came ashore at HMS Vernon, she met membersmembers of Walmer lifeboat crew who were in Portsmouth for a special handing over ceremony of their new 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat Hampshire Rose, the funds for which had largely been raised within Hampshire and the surrounding counties in response to an appeal launched by Sir Alec Rose.

In June, 1978—and again this year— the Queen Mother paid a visit to Hastings and among the scores of people who were presented to her during her busy day were Coxswain Joe Martin and the lifeboatmen of Hastings.

In 1979 HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was installed as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports at a colourful ceremony at Dover. It was, therefore, very fitting that Her Majesty should agree to name that port's new 50ft Thames class lifeboat at a ceremony held on October 30, 1979.

Despite persistent rain, lifeboat supporters gathered at Wellington Dock for the ceremony, being joined by Rotarians from all over the country, the major part of the cost of this boat, Rotary Service, having been provided by members of Rotary Clubs, whose motto is 'Service above Self.

As a tribute to the Queen Mother's eightieth birthday, Walmer Castle, her official residence as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, was decorated throughout with flowers by the Flower Arrangement Association of Kent, and Her Majesty had a preview of the decorations when she visited the castle on July 8. A donation from the proceeds was given to the Institution.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother has been Patron of the RNLI now for over 43 years, only Queen Victoria having served as Patron for a longer period. During those eventful years, Her Majesty has not only named six new lifeboats, but has visited many lifeboat stations and has always taken a great personal interest, not only in the lifeboat service in general, but in the men who man our lifeboats and their wives and families; on many occasions she has welcomed them and talked with them at Buckingham Palace Gardens Parties..