St Davids RNLI welcome Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales

The Royal couple were in Pembrokeshire to attend a special service of thanksgiving at St Davids Cathedral in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. During their visit, they enjoyed a trip to a local seaweed farm and had an opportunity to find out more about the RNLI’s lifesaving work in Wales.

Prince William was an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, stationed at RAF Valley off Anglesey, which included working with the RNLI’s lifeboat crew on rescues during his time in the role.

Their Royal Highnesses boarded the station’s Tamar class all-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley and were taken on the short trip around the headland to the new station. They witnessed the modern lifeboat being winched back to safety on the slipway.

Once their feet were on dry land, they had an opportunity to meet with volunteers who help save lives at sea off Pembrokeshire.

St Davids RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager John Williams says:

‘It was such a pleasure to welcome The Prince and Princess of Wales to our lifeboat station. They were genuinely interested in the work of the RNLI and spent time talking to volunteers about their different roles.

‘The Royal couple were invited onboard the Tamar class lifeboat to see our stunning coastline from a different perspective. It was great to show Their Royal Highnesses how we recover our lifeboat on the slipway and day-to-day operations. Our volunteers are very proud of what they do. Meeting The Prince and Princess was a real honour and something none of them will forget.’

It was also a day to remember for Isla Kohler, four and her two-year-old brother Albert, children of St Davids Deputy Coxswain Judd Kohler and crew member Ellen Evans, who signalled the end of the visit by presenting a posy to The Princess of Wales.

RNLI media contacts

For more information contact Claire Fitzpatrick Smith, RNLI Regional Media Officer in Wales on 07977 728 315 or the RNLI press office on 01202 336789.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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