LAUNCH: Duchess of Kent with coxswain Mike Russell tries out the all-weather Trent lifeboat during her trip to Whitby
THE town of Whitby enjoyed a VIP visit when the Duchess of Kent travelled to the resort to name its new inshore lifeboat.
In 2016, Will Healey, owner of the Warter Priory estate near Pocklington, nominated the RNLI as its charity of the year - and raised enough money to pay for three D-class inshore lifeboats.
The Duchess named the first one Warter Priory in recognition of the estate's efforts. The relief lifeboat was named Eric Howland in memory of Mr Healey’s grandfather. It will join the RNLI’s relief fleet and serve around the coast of the UK and Ireland.
The third lifeboat will be named later and go into service along the North-East coast in 2018.
Warter Priory head keeper Frank Croft said: "We couldn’t be prouder."
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