DIANA ROWLAND was a quiet and shy Welsh girl from Penarth. But, after falling in love with a Guernseyman, she would go on to become one of the most public faces in an island she had barely even heard of.

It’s a simple story and the wife of Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland is not complaining. As she readily admits, she is one of the world’s luckier people.

‘It’s a real privilege to be standing in my shoes – supporting charitable work, meeting fascinating people and occasionally travelling to great places and always hoping to promote Guernsey. I have been very fortunate.’

Yet, first and foremost, she will always be a family person.

‘My work is the family,’ explains the mother of two successful sons, Peter and John.

Peter, who graduated in law from Cambridge University and qualified as a solicitor, is employed as a competition lawyer with the prestigious London firm of Slaughter and May. He will be moving from London to its Brussels office shortly.

John read human sciences at Oxford University, qualified as a chartered accountant in London and is currently finance director of Alchemy Partners, a private equity firm in London.

So just who is this demure lady who, as the wife of a young advocate, fought against her natural shyness to take on various roles in local society – all the while supporting her husband, now Guernsey’s first citizen?

Well, she refers to herself as a homemaker – and says she has been unashamedly so since 1977.

Since her sons left school, she has put her botany degree to good use by helping Raymond Evison prepare and compile his clematis books.

And if supporting the Bailiff was not enough of a full-time role, she acts as president of the Red Cross, St John Ambulance and the Sea Cadets, is chairman of a charitable foundation and is an executive member of two other charities.

She is also treasurer of the NSPCC Guernsey branch Ladies’ Committee, has headed up the society’s annual house-to-house collection for almost a quarter of a century and helped with the WRVS Meals on Wheels service for almost as long.

The relationship with her husband goes back to her university days at Southampton. Diana had arrived as an undergraduate in 1967 to study for a combined honours degree in botany and geography. Before long, she came across the second-year law student from Guernsey. ‘We met through mutual friends in the refectory. They were having lunch and I joined them.’

It was a chance meeting that would have a major impact on her life. ‘A couple of months later, when I had been seriously considering throwing in the towel after a couple of dispiriting exam results which hurt my pride, he talked to me like a Dutch uncle, rebuilding my confidence.’

Geoff went on to graduate 18 months later and his Welsh girlfriend a year after that.

A young Diana with her future husband. (0611569)

But she still had never been to Guernsey. All that was to change after one day when the young couple were visiting Penarth. They had been walking on the cliffs, 50ft above the Bristol Channel, when her future husband remarked: ‘Call these cliffs? You should come and see some proper ones – and the clear blue sea.’ And she did.

While he completed his law studies in London, Diana worked as an experiments officer, developing new agricultural herbicides for ICI Plant Protection Ltd at its Jealotts Hill research station in Berkshire. Their engagement was to follow in late 1971, after Geoff had qualified as a barrister in London, passed his local and Caen exams and been called to the Guernsey bar.

They married at All Saints Church, Penarth, in May 1972 and their wedding reception was held in the banqueting hall at Cardiff Castle. An added attraction for the guests was a military tattoo that was taking place that day in the grounds.

The Rowlands immediately set up home together in Guernsey and Diana worked for the States Horticultural Advisory Service at Burnt Lane. She carried out trials to improve the quality of a range of produce, including tomatoes, irises, roses and freesias.

Diana left the service prior to the birth of Peter in September 1977. John followed in 1979.

But working in horticulture had been a bonus for the ex-botany student. ‘If I had known anything thing about horticulture, I think I would have gone down that route after school, but at the time the ecology side fascinated me.

‘[At Burnt Lane] they had an experiment section and virtually all the glasshouses were given over to trials. Basically, I was a planner, record-keeper and analyst. I enjoyed it very much. It was also the first time in my life I had had some managerial responsibility.’

Despite this experience, she does not consider herself particularly green-fingered.

‘My mother and sister had green fingers, but I don’t.

‘I do like gardening, yes, and I’d spend all day working in the garden if I could. It is now a real passion.’

But with her two sons having flown the nest, one role now dominates and has done since Geoff became Bailiff in succession to Sir de Vic Carey three years ago.

‘When I first knew him, Geoff had no intention of returning to Guernsey to practise law. In 1991, he had no thought of applying to become Comptroller, but he was actively encouraged to apply and the decision was a joint one.

‘Every job that my husband has held has been important to him, so during his time in a law firm and when he was Comptroller, Procureur and then the Deputy Bailiff I became accustomed to being a supportive partner.

‘Initially, I suppose I didn’t fully appreciate then the extent of the public services roles, but if he’s happy, I’m happy.

‘As Bailiff, he does need a tremendous lot of support. Traditionally, the Bailiff’s wife has undertaken a whole range of public duties. ‘People expect me to be there with him more often than I anticipated. It means there is no chance of me even having even a part-time job.’

But, as she reiterates, family comes first. ‘My work is the family. It’s very fulfilling to both bring up a family and look after our parents.’