Rye will be represented at a ceremony going back 800 years when the new Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is installed later this month. Admiral Sir George Zambellas will officially take over as Lord Warden on Tuesday October 29 following an event in Dover which dates back to the middle of the 12th century.
The office of Lord Warden and Admiral, now ceremonial in nature, was once one of the most powerful in England. It was a vital link between the crown and ports on the south-east coast which provided a fleet to serve successive kings for 500 years before the foundation of the Royal Navy. Recent holders of the office have included Sir Winston Churchill (1941-1965) and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1978-2002).
Lord Wardens are installed at a specially convened session of the Grand Court of Shepway, made up of representatives from Rye and the other Cinque Ports towns.
For each town, Grand Court membership is made up of the Mayor and a maximum of five
“Combarons” (members of the council) and the Town Clerk, accompanied by the Mayoral
Chaplain, and Sergeant at Mace. A maximum of 14 other representatives from Rye will also be attending, to be confirmed by Rye Town Council.
The new lord warden has had a distinguished military career as his biography on the government’s website shows.
Sir George was educated at Stowe School and Southampton University and was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1980. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1982, flying with the Fleet Air Arm, to commander in 1994 and captain in 1999. In 2001, he received the distinguished service cross (DSC) following operations in Sierra Leone.
In 2002, Sir George was made commodore and was appointed principal staff officer to the chief of the defence staff, serving Admiral Boyce and General Walker, before command of the UK Amphibious Force, and the UK Maritime Force. He was promoted to vice admiral in 2011, and to admiral in 2012 as NATO maritime commander and UK commander in chief.
He was appointed KCB in 2012 and became First Sea Lord and chief of the naval staff in 2013. In the 2016 New Years Honours he was appointed GCB. Beyond his commercial career in small hi-tech companies, he holds charitable positions, as an Elder Brother of Trinity House, in the White Ensign Association, the VC & GC Association, The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, The Shipwrecked Mariners Society, the Navy Wings Trust and the Fly Harrier Trust. He is Gentleman Usher to the Sword of State.
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Admiral_Sir_George_Zambellas_KCB_DSC_ADC_DL,_First_Sea_Lord_and_Chief_of_Naval_Staff,_Royal_Navy_%2819096731904%29.jpg, Picryl CC .