Sir Timothy Laurence has been appointed as the new patron of the International Maritime Rescue Foundation.
The royal has replaced Sir Efthimios Mitropoulos, the Secretary-General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who stepped down earlier this year having held the role for 11 years.
Having held a career in the UK’s Royal Navy for four decades, Sir Tomothy served from the early 1970s until 2010.
As Patron, he will become the voice and advocate for the work undertaken by the organisation.
Speaking on his new appointment, Sir Timothy said: “It is an honour to be appointed the new Patron of the IMRF, and I look forward to working closely with the organisation, its members and SAR personnel worldwide to advance the cause of safety at sea.”
Jacob Tas, Chair of the IMRF, said: “I am delighted that Sir Tim Laurence has accepted our invitation to become the new Patron of the IMRF.
“His tenure at the UK’s Royal Navy and his dedication to public service means he will be a fantastic supporter of the IMRF’s global work and the critical importance of maritime SAR organisations globally.”
As well as his previous work, the royal holds a strong interest and background in maritime, all of which led him being appointed to the Governing Council of the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 2004.
In 2011, a year after stepping down from the Royal Navy, he became Trustee Board and Chairman of the Operations Committee.
Sir Timothy later became Deputy Chairman of the RNLI Board and, unpon retirement from the Board in 2020, became a Vice President.
Having previously been married to Captain Mark Phillips, Anne married Sir Timothy in 1992.
Their marriage meant that Anne became the first royal to remarry after a divorce since Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn in 1533.
