While attending the South of England show at Ardingly in June, HRH The Duchess of York visited the RNLI stand, where she was introduced to Ken Everard, then coxswain of Shoreham Harbour lifeboat.

The Duchess also spoke to Mrs Peggy Silverson and Mrs Pearl Owen of the Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Society and whilst on the stand Mrs Silverson presented the Duchess with a Lizzy the Lifeboat tabard for Princess Beatrice and a bib for Princess Eugene, both from the range of souvenirs in the latest RNLI catalogue.

Pictured are the Duchess with ex Coxswain Ken Everard, Sir Timothy Bevan, president of the 1990 show (left) and Peter Nelson, chairman of the South of England Agricultural Society (centre). (photo Beckerts Newspapers).