A royal super-fan who was dubbed ‘Union Jack man’ by the late Queen has died aged 91.
Terry Hutt, of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, met Queen Elizabeth more times than any other member of the public and was famed for camping outside hospitals for several nights ahead of royal births.
Mr Hutt battled sepsis, pneumonia, and heart failure before passing suddenly. At the age of four, he had a strong interest in royalty after receiving a souvenir mug from the King and Queen on their visit to his parents in London during the Blitz.
Since then, he was frequently pictured at notable royal events donning red, white and blue – with his devotion to the monarchy leading members of the Royal household to know him as the ‘Union Jack man’.
In 2011, he camped outside Westminster Abbey to ensure a prime viewing spot for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Ahead of Prince George’s birth in 2013, he also spent nearly two weeks on a bench being fed porridge and given cups of tea by staff at the hospital.
Mr Hutt then spent 14 days on a red, white and blue decorated bench outside St Mary’s Hospital in London in anticipation of the birth of Princess Charlotte.
He described his time on the ‘royal bench’ as demanding as a full-time job; however, he said he got a ‘thrill’ from seeing the royal lineage continue.
At the time, he said: ‘I have known William and the family for years, and I always get a thrill out of seeing the new babies.
‘We need babies to keep the family going as the more of them there are, the better it will be.’
Outside his devotion to the monarchy, Mr Hutt was described as a ‘tireless’ campaigner for the NHS and the restoration of Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare.
The pier has been closed for more than thirty years due to damage from storms.
Mr Hutt was also known to travel about his hometown on a scooter, collecting thousands of signatures.
He is survived by his daughter, Tracey Joy, who said her father led a ‘life well lived’.
She said: ‘A life well lived, and as we are grieving, we look back at his fight for life, love for his family.
‘It has been very sad, but despite his many health ailments, he continued to do everything he loved.
‘To reach the age of 91 was a miracle, overcoming kidney cancer and multiple surgeries, each time he came out fighting, but heart failure, along with pneumonia and sepsis, took him in the end.’
Without a doubt, he proudly sported his Union Jack. He was indeed an elegant dresser.
He was harmless, but some might say strange at the same time. I wouldn’t say it was strange, but he was certainly patriotic. He was a marvellous character who loved his Queen and country; may he rest in peace.
Should Union Jack man be given a royal burial? Of course, there is no basis or constitutional mechanism for Terry Hutt to receive a royal burial, but there should be a meaningful conversation about it, after all, he was patriotic to his Queen and country for an extremely long time.
He was a royal superfan, not a royal servant or official. However, I do believe that he was a loyal servant because, at the end of the day, we are all servants to our monarchy. He also campaigned locally for the NHS and Birnbeck Pier.
He lived a long, full life and was undoubtedly adored by many, so come on, Charles, do the right thing for this lovely, devoted man.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 