It has now been one month since the Duke of Edinburgh, after a lifetime of service to the monarchy, died.

One person for whom the moment was particularly poignant was community champion Lucy Westcott.

Her father was the first commoner to be Private Secretary, as equerry to the Duke, and she herself met Prince Phillip on several occasions - and was always impressed by his forward thinking.

Lucy told Nub News: " I wanted to highlight that the Prince was so interested in new technology and making sure the monarchy kept up with the new world. He pushed boundaries.

"It could of been far easier for him to have relaxed into a life of 'huntin and fishin', but he would always seek out people and companies in the new technology and engineering worlds to learn more and promoted British innovations to other countries when he travelled."

One of those visits was to Canada when the Duke took the controls of then newly developed Boeing 757. In 1982, the Duke, who was a qualified pilot of planes and helicopters, visited the Boeing Company in Seattle, to inspect, and personally fly, the first aircraft to be delivered to British Airways.

Lucy's father's appointment was itself part of the prince's modern thinking.

She said: " It was because of this the Duke wanted to have in his household someone would understood business and technology to advise him on his trips to factories.

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"My father was first an equerry and then HRH's private secretary - the first 'commoner' to hold such a role which went against royal conventions as they usually went to high ranking armed forces personal or nobility - the Prince probably ruffled a few feathers in this appointment.

" I am so proud of my father, originally from the Rhondda Valley a scholarship boy who worked hard and was part of the beginnings of radar and as a very young man was sent to the United States to help the American Air Force with new technologies. He was a very loyal and discreet man who would never talk about his time with the royal family .. he travelled all around the world on the Queen's flight and the Royal Yacht and never divulged anything !!"

Lucy who hosts the local car boots sales in Frome, and the Frome Fleamarket in the Cheese & Grain which should reopen in the summer, explained that as a courtier's unmarried daughter she herself was invited to garden parties and into the royal boxes at sporting events.

But she wasn't overly impressed telling us : " I must admit I was not that interested, and it clashed with my teaching job, I couldn't imagine asking for a day off to go to Wimbledon or Ascot!!

"But I went once to one garden party, where I was presented to Prince Phillip who I must say had a great twinkle in his eye."