David was an islander. The second son of The Rev George and Mrs Mostyn Prichard who was Rector of Whippingham and Chaplain to Osborne House so it was not surprising that HRH The Princess Beatrice agreed to be his Godmother and Lord Penhryn , his mother’s cousin, Godfather.
In 1940 David was sent away with his brother from the Vicarage at Kew aged 5 to board at Swanbourne House in Buckinghamshire. The form mistress wrote to his parents “Preston is such a nice boy but I think we shall have a lot of trouble with young David“.
David anxious to be involved with Radley’s Centenary celebrations in 1947 claimed to have achieved nothing except his first terms Warden report which read “He may be the youngest in the College, but there is no need to him to be the worst behaved.” However, he rowed for the 1st V111 which rowed in the final of the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley.
With parents short of funds, he was withdrawn to take Oxford Responsions in Latin and French. When achieved he started teaching aged 17 at his old Prep School.
At Pembroke Oxford he was 2-3 years younger than most as faulty hearing denied him National Service. He was Captain of College Boats, a member of The Teasel Club and stroke of the university ISIS V111.
He first taught at Monkton Combe being a resident tutor in the holidays at stately homes coaching 13yr old boys to pass Common Entrance.
After eight years he was asked to direct the school 100K appeal. It had raised 70K over seven years and David raised 35K in four months. He became Secretary of the OM Society, Commanded the CCF as a Lt Cdr, initiated the UKs first Volunteer Police Cadets which resulted in much media attention. On leaving his HM wrote “your contribution has been outstanding. Your pastoral care has been an influence for goodness and novelty”.
At 34 he was appointed HM of Port Regis then Bryanston’s Junior School. It budgeted for 124 boarders but had only 90 of whom 30 were due to leave in July. Over 24 years Port Regis was considered one of the top five in the country. In 1972 the school was renting 48 acres and the eighty room mansion but he purchased 150 acres for £50,000 which the Daily Telegraph printed as ‘The Buy of the Century’.
On his retirement there were 320 boys and girls. The Princess Royal educated both her children, other international royals the same, He entertained The Queen and Prince Philip for four hours when she opened The National Centre for Junior Gymnastics. David was also Chairman of IAPS and received his MBE from the Queen for services to education and charitable services.
At 59 he became Headmaster of Wycliffe College and increased their numbers from 400 -800 in four years. The inspector wrote” Wycliffe has been transformed. The speed of this life saving transformation must be credited to the remarkable inspiration of the Headmaster.”
David took two sabbaticals. His experiences included being shot at in Israel, stabbed in Morocco, Tutoring the son of the British Consul in Paris driving his jaguar with CD plates, worked with a VSO in Laos, thumbed a lift in a US transporter, trekking in Nepal, and represented Bath UK in the ten Baths in USA, rode Embassy stallions in Ethiopia.
He enjoyed dinner and an overnight stay In Holyrood Palace and invited twice to Thatcher’s number 10. He gave the Bicentenary lecture “Creativity in Education” at the opening of Darling Harbour in Australia and another at African HMC conference in Cape Town.
His lifetime achievements included being a Governor of nine Prep Schools, Chairman of the Smallpiece Trust for Industrial Design and a Trustee for 25 yrs leaving with £12 million in the bank.
He became a Freeman of the City of London, a Trustee with John Makepeace at Parnham, a member of the Board of Visitors at Guys Marsh Borstal, A Commissioner for the Inland Revenue, Shaftesbury Rotarian, The Master of Two Masonic Lodges and organised for ten years National Conferences for Governors, Bursars and Heads. He certainly merited his inclusion in “Whos, Who”and Debretts ‘’Distinguished People of Today”
He was a Churchwarden at Castleton Church, Chairman of Sherborne Prep and Vice Chair of Sherborne CPRE.
He was unskilled in DIY, his interest lay in design and marketing.
David spent half his life knowing Elizabeth whom he first met at a Heads Conference dinner. He proposed at his third Buckingham Palace Garden Party. His life with Elizabeth was blissful for they never argued and laughter was heard daily.
David was devoted to one he described as beautiful in face and character, a talented chef and one dedicated to kindness. It all could have started badly if his African diamonds were lost during a midnight emergency landing at Nairobi.