“I was delighted to be asked by Her Majesty the Queen to take on the ancient offices of Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Ports, following such illustrious predecessors as William Pitt, The Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and, my immediate predecessor, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. All have given so much in service to the nation that I am truly honoured to follow in their footsteps. The Royal Navy was founded by another of my predecessors, King Henry VIII who was Lord Warden before he acceded to the throne. However, I am only the second regular naval officer to hold the office, the first being Admiral Robert Blake during the 17th century, and I am particularly pleased to represent a link between the modern Royal Navy and this historic Confederation, which has justifiably been called the ‘Cradle of the Royal Navy’.

Since my installation as Lord Warden, in April 2005, I have made a number of visits to the 14 historic Cinque Port towns and their surviving limbs. I have been struck by how much they have to offer visitors and residents alike; whether it be the historic buildings and fortifications which abound, the beauty of the natural landscape or the pride which local people take in traditions dating back a thousand years or more.

I hope that you too will enjoy visiting the Cinque Ports and learning a little of their remarkable past.”