Civic Society

Around September each year it had been the custom for her Ladyship and I to attend the Civic Dinner of a small local authority in Northern Derbyshire. It was also the custom for the same dinner to be graced by His Grace, Andrew, 11th Duke of Devonshire alongside the mayors and chairmen of surrounding districts, the latter being affectionately known among themselves as "The Chain Gang". The camaraderie between them was evident when the Sheriff of Nottingham joined the top table to the theme tune of a Robin Hood flick being whistled in unison.

Entertained by the Vicar of Cotgrave delivering a witty after-dinner address which included the repeated checking of his watch by hitting against the podium, the assembled throng afterwards headed off for refreshment and relief as appropriate. It had been usual for the dinner to be held at a venue local to the home of the current Chairman of the authority which meant that this years event was held in a parish hall with modest appointments. The toilets and the main entrance were adjacent and so as queues formed for each, her Ladyship found herself in the queue for the 'powder room' as His Grace, not accompanied by Debo, that evening queued for the exit , his civic duties diligently discharged. A renowned lover of female company, the Duke hardly noticed that the melée had mélanged and what had been the queue for the exit was in fact now the queue for the ladies. He held court, charming as always, for the best part of 25 minutes when he was forced to acknowledge that his driver would be becoming anxious and that regrettably he would need to return to Chatsworth - he famously had never seen the point of getting his own driving licence. Her Ladyship was charmed by this remarkable man.

Each year thereafter he took the trouble to reacquaint himself, once reminding me that he and I were both 'anachronisms' and thus it came as an immense shock in 2004 to return from the Caribbean to find that His Grace had passed on and that an age of dignity and generosity of spirit had passed with him. It was clear from the card which we received from Debo that his loss was felt even by those who had never even met him but had perhaps enjoyed the tranquility of his back garden at Chatsworth or the extraordinary collection within its walls. A special exhibition at Chatsworth open until 9 September celebrates the life of Andrew Devonshire http://www.chatsworth.org/whattodo/house_queen_of_scots.htm