Rosemary Thacker (nee Taylor)

In May 2016 Rosemary sent some notes on a 1958 Sports Day photo which featured Katharine Worsley.

Katherine Worsley gave out prizes – her first public engagement after she became engaged to the Duke of Kent.
Her father Sir William was Chairman of School Governors.

When Katharine Worsley married the Duke of Kent, Sir William invited local school children to line the entrance to the stables at Hovingham Hall. There was a ballot for a number of pupils from each class. I failed in this, but my mother ignored the fact (to no-one’s surprise) and took me.

I remember all the Royal family and the crowned heads of Europe walking past us and quite a few of them spoke to us. I was only 13, so I’m a bit vague about who was who. Afterwards my mother had tickets to wave the queen off at Malton Station – I still have them. In 1969 PTT| my mother and I went to a Buckingham Palace Garden party. We had a long chat with the Duchess – about the French lessons (with handsome Mr Lumb) my father arranged for her after her engagement (what had she learnt at finishing school?) and her father recently buying a kettle at Dodson’s ironmongers. The ‘audience’ round us could not make out who on earth we were! The Duchess rather tactlessly said it was a relief to speak to people she actually knew.