Governor of Windsor Castle dies aged 63

The Governor of Windsor Castle has died at the age of 63.

Today the castle flag was flying at half mast - a mark of the respect felt by the Queen for Surgeon Vice-Admiral Ian Jenkins.

His extraordinary career saw him rise from being a modest medical student in Wales to Surgeon General in charge of the health of the men of the army, navy and air force.

He had been planning to retire when he was invited by the Queen to become her right hand man in charge of the running of her historic Windsor home.

Surgeon Vice-Admiral Ian Jenkins moved into the castle last Spring with his wife Liz, who he first met when he was a medical student and she was training to be an occupational therapist.

He was the first medical man in 900 to become castle governor. But having been medical officer abroad to Prince Charles and honorary surgeon to the Queen the choice was not really a surprising one.

Vice-Admiral Ian Jenkins' first involvement with the navy was as a reservist. But he soon decided that was where his future lay becoming a naval surgeon specialising in urology.. He served on HMS Ark Royal in the 1970s and was part of the support team for the Royal Marine Commando Unit, sharing the tough training including the Arctic survival course in Norway.

He once said: "I have never regarded anything as being really cold ever since. Once you have learned how to dig out and survive in a snow hole you never complain about the weather in Wales again."

Surgeon Vice-Admiral Jenkins cheerfully admitted when he took the job as Governor that he barely knew Windsor having only visited it as a tourist. But he soon became a familiar face in the town and a leading supporter of organisations.

He leaves his wife Liz, a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.