County gains royal approval (From Western Telegraph)

County gains royal approval

PEMBROKESHIRE has been given the royal seal of approval by the Queen.

The head of the Royal Family described the county as a 'beautiful place to live' when she recently met the hon. secretary of the Little Haven and Broad Haven Lifeboat.

Chris Whitby and his wife, Nancy, were selected from 8,000 guests to meet the Queen at a garden party at Buckingham Palace. During a five-minute conversation, she asked Mr Whitby about his role with the RNLI.

'She wanted to hear about my family and asked about the caravan park we run. She told me she remembered seeing the caravans on the cliffs when she sailed past on the royal yacht,' said Mr Whitby, of Foxes Bark, Hasguard Cross.

'She also wanted to know how foot and mouth was affecting the area. 'She said how fortunate we were to live in such a beautiful place.'

Her parting comment was on a subject dear to her heart. She told the Whitbys: 'Don't forget that the best dogs in the world come from Pembrokeshire.' She was, of course, referring to the Corgi which originates from the county.

Mr Whitby likened the meeting to 'having a conversation with my mum'. 'It was a very special day and was particularly memorable because we had the opportunity to meet her personally,' he said.