Prince Philip – A Private Admirer

The Tim Stead Trust learned with great sadness of the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh yesterday.

His Royal Highness had visited The Steading on two occasions. The first time, several years ago, he was taken there by a local contact and half an hour had been allocated for the visit. He ended up spending over an hour at The Steading, examining with delight the furniture and sculptures in the building. He was intrigued by Tim’s unique approach to wood and the way he used it, and he was fully in tune with Tim’s conservation work with wood and trees, telling Maggy Stead how he, too, had planted thousands of trees on his own properties.

‘He was like a small boy, rushing around with a big smile on his face,’ said Maggy.

Prince Philip at The Steading in 2019

The Duke enjoyed his visit so much that in 2019, he requested a private return visit to The Steading, when he was also shown Tim’s workshop which is now run by David Lightly and Ross Purves as The Wood Neuk. The Duke was fascinated by seeing how the furniture is put together – even such a low-tech style of working has its own engineering skills.

David Lightly explains the intricate method of inlay

The Tim Stead Trust sends its condolences to the Royal family.