Polar Star invited to Buckingham Palace for Royal Celebration of British Adventure

Dec. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- McGrath, from Hertfordshire, is no stranger to Buckingham Palace – in December 2004, he was honoured by The Queen ‘in recognition of people who have made a significant contribution to national life.’

The Royal Reception, which took place on Thursday 8th December 2011, was hosted by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by a number of other members of the Royal Family who circulated amongst the guests. Visitors enjoyed drinks and canapés made in the Royal kitchens and served by the Household staff.

The ‘Who’s Who’ from the world of Adventure and Exploration, which included Sir David Attenborough, Sir Chris Bonington, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Michael Palin, was timed to mark the 100th anniversary of Captain Robert Scott’s final expedition to the South Pole.

“It was a real honour to have been invited and terrific to hang out with so many truly great, dare I say legendary explorers and adventurers,” said McGrath. “To say it was inspiring would be an understatement – it was humbling, it was surreal, it was an evening I will always remember.

“As a proud father, there was a very special moment when, having been announced to The Queen and having shaken her hand, I was able to personally introduce my daughter Gemma, who was granted permission to escort me as my carer. I said, ‘Your Majesty, may I introduce you to my daughter Gemma’ – at that very moment, her name was formally announced and after a briefly rehearsed curtsey perfectly executed, we moved through into one of the Palace Rooms to mingle. It was a fantastic night!” said McGrath.

“During the evening, I spoke with several guests including Ray Mears, Bear Grylls, James Cracknell, Charley Boorman, Pen Hadow and Ben Fogle and after nearly eight years, I was finally able to personally thank Michael Palin for his good luck message prior to my South Pole expedition but also to relay my knotted South Pole handkerchief tale in detail.” This was in response to Palin’s written request to McGrath dated 17th December 2003 that said that if he (McGrath) got to the Pole, perhaps he could look out for his white handkerchief that Palin had left there back in 1991. “The rest, as they say, is history!” added McGrath, who subsequently took a white handkerchief, knotted it in the four corners, duly placing it over the South Pole orb and photographing it before sending it back to Michael Palin with a note saying he’d found it!

McGrath is an experienced and inspiring motivational speaker, who specialises particularly in the corporate, education and public sectors. He was diagnosed with the genetic muscle-wasting disease Muscular Dystrophy when he was 18 and founded the Muscle Help Foundation charity in 2005, which raises money to provide unforgettable experiences, known as Muscle Dreams, for children and young people in the UK with Muscular Dystrophy.