Lord Lieutenant Sir Thomas Dunne with King Charles and Diana

Accompanied by his equally handsome wife Lady Henrietta, the Dunnes made one of the most eye-catching couples in the county.

Sadly Old Father Time has caught up at last and Sir Thomas has died at the age of 91, leaving a considerable hole in a lot of lives. Tributes to him have been numerous and fulsome and his self-deprecating character made him an enjoyable encounter.

Sir Thomas Dunne and a very elegantly perched Lady Dunne at the opening of Worcester’s ambulance hub in Spetchley Road. (Image: Submitted) Sir Thomas was first appointed Lord Lieutenant of the new authority of Hereford and Worcester when it was created in 1977. Then when the two counties separated again in 1998 he took on the role for both Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

In full fig and on the charge. Former cavalry officer Sir Thomas on his way to open the Royal British Legion’s Roland Rutter Court at Pershore. (Image: Submitted) Way back in 2001, when he announced his retirement as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire – he continued in Herefordshire until 2008 – Sir Thomas invited me out to his home for an interview and story. Finding the place was only the start because he appeared to own about half of Herefordshire, at least 2,500 acres of it, and Gatley Park, near Leintwardine, not far from Wales, lay at the end of a mile long track, much of it through forestry. The sudden appearance of Robin Hood and cohorts demanding gold sovereigns did not seem entirely out of the question.

On a previous visit my colleague Mike Grundy had turned back thinking he had gone wrong, which he hadn’t. I persevered until eventually the trees gave way and the Dunne family home since 1679 hove into view. “Our strange little island” he called it.

Capt Thomas Dunne and Prince Charles at the 1998 Three Counties Show at Malvern. (Image: Submitted) As Lord Lieutenant, Sir Thomas had been the monarch’s representative in the county, organising royal visits, welcoming members of the royal family and acting as a figurehead at major events. He had also quickly grasped the first rule of PR, which is to give the press something. If you don’t, they are likely to fill in the gaps and not necessarily to your advantage.

I remember asking Sir Thomas who was his favourite member of the royal family and the long and rather embarrassing silence that followed. Eventually I said: “I’m sorry. Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked that. Maybe it’s awkward.”

“Oh no, no, no,” he responded. “I am trying to give you something. I am trying to give you something to write. Let me say I have the greatest admiration for the way they do their job. They live their life under the greatest public scrutiny and I don’t think I could cope with what they have to.”

Sir Thomas and Lady Dunne at Gatley Park in 2001. (Image: Submitted) Back in the early 90s the Dunne family were caught up in the media maelstrom, when their eldest son Philip, who was MP for Ludlow for 27 years before retiring last year, was linked with the Princess of Wales.

Pictures of “Super Dunne”, as he became known, for he closely resembled Superman actor Christoper Reeves, were soon plastered all over the tabloid press.

“Ah, that was a time,” reflected his father. Then he smiled and added: “When it broke, Philip was a rather junior member of a merchant bank in the city and one day there was quite a fuss because lots of photographers had gathered outside the front door of the building.

One last check to pass muster. (Image: Submitted) “Philip happened to be coming down in the lift with a senior member of the board, who spent the entire time straightening his tie and combing his hair having heard the media were outside. He obviously thought they were waiting for him. But when the two stepped out of the bank the photographers rushed straight past him and started taking pictures of Philip!”

The truth was Lady Diana was also a close friend of the Dunne’s eldest daughter Camilla and together with Prince Charles, attended her wedding to Rupert Soames, grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, in Hereford Cathedral in 1988.

Being as the office of Lord Lieutenant frequently involves organising things, it helps to have a military background. “It wouldn’t be impossible to do the job without, “Sir Thomas said, “ but it would be more difficult because you wouldn’t have the knowledge of the ceremonial or how to carry a sword without tripping over.” Captain Dunne, as he was then, served in the Royal Horse Guards from 1951-1959 and at one stage was in charge of organising the Household Cavalry’s famous musical ride.

On royal duty in 2001 when the Queen and Prince Philip visited Worcester to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Royal Worcester Porcelain factory. (Image: Submitted) An excellent horseman, he race rode in his younger days, but found the need to wear spectacles rather a hinderance “As I’ve never seen a jockey with glasses I tried to do without them,” he explained. “But I couldn’t see very well and tended to get left behind when the pace quickened.”

Alec Mackie, who was press officer of Hereford and Worcester County Council for 20 years and encountered him frequently, said: “Sir Thomas was the epitome of an English Gentleman who served The Queen and the communities of both Worcestershire and Herefordshire with distinction and kindness.

“My first meeting with him was in advance of the occasion when he accompanied Prince Philip to County Hall to open an industrial bureau and conference of the County’s business leaders in May 1978. Because Prince Philip had let it be known that he must not be seen being driven in a non-British made car for this visit, Sir Thomas and his PA, the late Ms Paddy Wilde, had to arrange for the Chief Constable’s Jaguar reg AB1 and driver to bring Prince Philip to the event.

Evening style. Sir Thomas and Lady Henrietta at a function in 1984 when they were still Captain and Mrs. (Image: Submitted)

Lord Lieutenant Sir Thomas Dunne with King Charles and Diana

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