In Line Astern
(a tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh)
A lifetime spent in line astern
Following The Ship of State;
A marriage with one main concern,
To be The Ship of State's First Mate
Though sometimes keeping one step aft
In his quirky gaffe-rigged craft
Steered not by some old naval codger
But Saucy Sue cum Jolly Roger,
A light relief which spiced the annals
Of Britain's diplomatic channels.
But one which never had the force
To blow The Ship of State off course.
(first published in The Spectator, May 2021)