Mervyn was born in Shoeburyness, Essex to a Royal Artillery family and was educated locally finishing at Westcliff High School for Girls.  Mervyn studied for her BA in Education and Training with Greenwich University. Her father Lt. Colonel James Redding, OBE served Her Majesty for 40 years before retirement. Mervyn’s professional career was largely with the Ministry of Defence until her early retirement in 1995. She was a Chief Welfare Officer managing 30 welfare officers in 12 teams throughout one third of the country.  Responsible for the MOD policy on, and training staff in, health and safety, first aid, alcohol and drug abuse, stress, smoking and statistics. Mervyn also spent ten years as the Senior Administrator at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Foulness Island, where she had overall control of station administration, personnel, finance, transport and fire services.  The organisation of high-level international conferences for up to 350 delegates was also part of her responsibility. After 41 years in the MOD Mervyn retired.  In 1995 Mervyn chose to set up Tifany Health and Safety Services, to provide a health and safety advisory service to include training and assessment services to small business.  Mervyn is also a qualified teacher providing first aid courses to local colleges and other organisations, as well as NVQ Assessments in business administration, management, customer service and information technology.  Also she was head of the organising and implementing of NVQ IT strategy for a large local group.

Throughout her busy life Mervyn has always been involved with the church and voluntary organisations.  She has worked with St. John Ambulance for 50+ years and was the Director for St. John for the County of Essex for ten years, retiring from this voluntary post in June 1997.  During this time she was responsible for the organisation of the business and training.  She was also the Secretary General and Almoner of the Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus in the UK, an international charity involved with leprosy, skin disorders and currently with the support of burns victims.  She holds the appointment of Secretary for the registered Company, the St Lazarus Foundation and for a time was the Receiver General for the Grand Bailiwick of England and Wales of that Order, together with being the Commander of the Commandery of Londinium.  She is also the Grand Prior of Great Britain for the Order of St. Stanislas, a member of their International Regency Council and Grand Secretary for the Order. She also is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Royal Society of St. George.

Other organisations of which she is a member include the Downes Syndrome Association.  Her voluntary work over the years has resulted in a number of honours which include that of Commander in the Most Venerable Order of St John, a Dame Commander in the Order of St Gregory, a Dame Commander in the Military Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus, Dame Commander with Collar in the Order of St. Stanlislas and Dame in the Military Order of the Collar of Saint Agatha of Paterno. She is a Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers, a Freeman of the City of London and friend to St. Pauls Cathedral. Currently in addition to her work with these Orders she is a Training Development Adviser for St John and a First Responder for the Heart Start Programme in Rochford and volunteer with Essex Ambulance. In 2013 she was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee medal for her work with Essex Ambulance. Two years ago she joined the British Monarchist Society and currently in the position of Secretary General. Mervyn also sits on the Executive Board of the British Monarchist Society & Foundation where she is a Trustee and Secretary of the charity.

In her somewhat limited spare time Mervyn likes to do craft work, read, listen to classical music and talk to the cat.