A ’Rose for Her Majesty – The Type 23 Frigate MONTROSE was  present at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee “sail-past” in Solent, on the final day of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour of her kingdom.   The MONTROSE escorted HM The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh who were aboard the superyacht LEANDER as the Royal couple visited the Isle of Wight.    The MONTROSE, fresh from a recent period of maintenance, joined the LEANDER west of Cowes ready to accompany the 250ft vessel (owned by Sir Donald Gosling, honorary Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral to the United Kingdom), and during that passage the frigate’s company paid their respects to their Monarch in time honoured tradition, dressed in their No.1 Uniforms and lining the upper deck, the men and women of the MONTROSE  ‘manned and cheered ship’ as the frigate conducted her own sail past of the LEANDER while a 12 strong Guard of Honour paraded on the upper deck.   As the Royal Party prepared to sail into Cowes, the warship steamed past LEANDER and three cheers rang across the harbour.

Donald Gosling joined the Royal Navy in 1944 and served in the Mediterranean on the Cruiser LEANDER.      After the War, together with Ronald Hobson, he founded Central Car Parks, when the pair invested £200 in a bombsite in (Central London) and in 1959 Central Car Parks took over National Car Parks and Donald Gosling co-chaired the business until he retired in 1998.