It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Dame Mervyn Redding, a former Grand Prior of the Priory of Great Britain, who passed away peacefully on the last day of 2024 in a nursing home in Southend.
For the whole of her working life, she was a Civil Servant, primarily working for the Ministry of Defence. She was a member of a number of other Orders and Associations, including St. Lazarus, The British Monarchist Society, and The Royal Order of St. George, to mention just a few. She was unmarried but loved her cats and supported the Cats League whenever she could. Her car was her main form of transport, and she loved driving around. She would often arrange to pick up members going to meetings.
In 2016, she stood down as Grand Prior of GB but continued to work in the background, remaining on both the Regency and Magisterial Councils. She was also, for a time, the Grand Secretary of these Councils. During her time in office, she was instrumental in developing relations with Malta, which, after her retirement, became a fully-fledged Grand Priory in its own right.
Following the agreement and formation of the Association between Austria and Great Britain, Mervyn decided to step aside from Grand Council and as Grand Secretary and took very little involvement in the Order thereafter. We must, however, remember her longstanding contribution to the Order, spanning almost 40 years. May Mervyn now rest in peace, in harmony with the other Knights and Dames who have passed to the Great Grand Priory above
