As I come to the end of day two on the royal tour there’s one man I can’t keep my eyes off.
Always near and looking proprietorial is a dashing figure in a crisp white uniform with gold braid and all the trimmings.
No republic please! Australia loves Charles and Camilla
It’s as if I’ve stumbled onto the set of An Officer and A Gentleman or perhaps he’s an extra from South Pacific.
When I was out on the steaming tarmac in Longreach he was there, when I was sheltering from the sun under a tree at the community BBQ, meeting Prince Charles and Camilla for morning tea — there he was.
Even on Tuesday at the MCG the mystery man in white was hovering in the corner of my vision at every turn. Who could he be? Why does the royal retinue need a sailor? Hasn’t the Royal Yacht been decommissioned?
On closer inspection I noticed that he wasn’t even a Brit but an Aussie from our very own navy. The plot thickened.
So I boldly asked an aide to the Prince. “Oh he’s the Prince’s equerry,” I was told by way of explanation.
“But what does he do?” I persisted. “He’s like a military private secretary, the Prince has one wherever we go and when we’re on tour it makes sense to have one from the country we’re in.”
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So in Canada they had a Canadian equerry, in PNG a New Guinea equerry … and here in Australia I can exclusively reveal the handsome man in white is Commander Dominic MacNamara.
What I can’t tell you however is what’s in the green bag he has with him. The Commander won’t let on.
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