[1] It was while she was convalescing that she decided on a career in medicine, entering the all-woman Royal Free Medical School in London in 1945.

In 1950 she married Roger Rue, a pilot instructor of Belgian descent in the Royal Air Force.

This left her unable to walk, even with crutches, or perform basic tasks such as carrying a medical bag.

In 1960, she was named Assistant County Medical Officer for Hertfordshire and worked as a part-time paediatrician in Watford.

[5] In her last few years, Dame Rosemary continued to take an active interest in health service matters, despite both breast and colon cancer.