Durban dame and St John pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth

Catherine Dedman was having supper while on holiday in Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast in 2014 when she received news that she had become a dame.

Queen Elizabeth II sent a warrant to advise that Dedman of St John in Durban was awarded the senior honours in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

The British monarch was the sovereign head of St John, a major international charity which provides first aid, healthcare and support services in 40 countries around the world.

On Friday, St John in Durban paid tribute to the late monarch although most of its members had not met her.

“It is quite sad. Even though you don’t know her yourself, she was part of St John. She has always been there. She was always a part of our ceremonies. There is a sense of sadness that one didn’t expect to be there,” Dedman said.

“Of course, we also sympathise with her family because although they are royalty, they have lost their mother.”

Dedman has been at St John for more than 44 years and being bestowed with the title of Dame was in recognition of her service.

“We have different levels. You start as a normal member but as you go higher you are awarded for what you give to the services and how you help other people,” Dedman said.

In a statement Prof Mark Compton AM GCSU, Lord Prior of the Order of St John, said the queen had been the sovereign head of the organisation for more than 70 years.

“Her guidance and support shaped St John into a modern global healthcare organisation, which is deeply rooted in our history as an order of the Crown.

“Her Majesty always took a keen interest in our work of helping the sick and the poor, and she was very much invested in St John and our worldwide work. Her passing is a great loss, not only for the Commonwealth, but especially for our St John family,” he said.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.