A small group clustered on the outer deck of the ship, watching the dock and shoreline slowly recede. On one side of me stood the next King of England; on the other, ‘The Best Prime Minister Britain Never Had.’ Beers in hand, we listened as the familiar strains of Rule, Britannia! rose from the crowds ashore and from the countless small craft dotting the harbour. The Royal Yacht of the same name slowly departed from the last vestige of the British Empire, mere minutes after Hong Kong was handed back to Chinese rule, marking the end of 150 years of British governance.

Those standing on the deck were lost in their own thoughts. For me, it was the conclusion of my 17-year odyssey in this most vibrant of city-states. What began as a quest for adventure – a stark contrast to my comfortable but unexciting life in England – ended with my intimate involvement in a pivotal moment in history.

My career in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force had unfolded like a Hollywood script: from the riot squad to bodyguard duty, to a decade in counterterrorism, and finally as the last Aide-de-camp to the last Governor of Hong Kong. Along the way, I experienced countless headline-making incidents – and some that never made it to the press. It was a career rich in exhilaration and variety, far beyond anything I could have imagined when my journey began.