The king’s dilemma: how it fell to George V to choose a new prime minister
In May 1923, Andrew Bonar Law handed in his resignation letter and it fell to King George V to select a new prime minister. Lord Lexden, trustee of the History of Parliament, reflects on the process behind George V’s decision. One hundred years ago this month, King George V had to find a new prime minister very quickly. The incumbent, the Conservative Andrew Bonar Law, … Continue reading The king’s dilemma: how it fell to George V to choose a new prime minister
The 1626 coronation: Charles I’s botched political relaunch
After a shaky start to his reign, the king intended his coronation to bolster his personal image and agenda ahead of the 1626 Parliament. However, things didn’t go according to plan, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section explains… Little went right for Charles I in the opening months of his reign. Following his accession in March 1625, a major outbreak of the … Continue reading The 1626 coronation: Charles I’s botched political relaunch
Politics and play in girls’ schools in England, 1870-1914
Ahead of next Tuesday’s hybrid Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Helen Sunderland of St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. On 16 May, between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., Helen will discuss politics and play in girls’ schools in England between 1870 and 1914. The seminar takes place on 16 May 2023, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means … Continue reading Politics and play in girls’ schools in England, 1870-1914
Beast from the East or Song of Solomon? The Coronation of King Henry V, 9 April 1413
While many coronations have been unlucky weather-wise, it is Henry V’s coronation that has gone down in history for its appalling weather. Dr Hannes Kleineke, editor of our Commons 1461-1504 project, reflects… No series of blogs to mark the coronation of TM King Charles III and Queen Camilla would be complete without some comment on the weather – it is, after all, an English, as well as a … Continue reading Beast from the East or Song of Solomon? The Coronation of King Henry V, 9 April 1413
‘The buzz, the prattle, the crowds, the noise, the hurry’: the Coronation of George III and Queen Charlotte
Royal celebrations in the Georgian period were renowned for their mixture of stately formality and farcical mix-ups. In the third of our series on 18th-century coronations, we turn to that of George III in the late summer of 1761, which proved no exception, as Dr Robin Eagles points out. Shortly after 10 pm on 22 September 1761 the doors of Westminster Hall were flung open … Continue reading ‘The buzz, the prattle, the crowds, the noise, the hurry’: the Coronation of George III and Queen Charlotte
MPs and the coronation of Edward VII
The members of the House of Lords have traditionally been far more involved with coronations than their Commons counterparts, and for the coronation of Edward VII it was Viscount Esher who worked closely with the king to plan the ceremony and adapt its traditions to suit the times. However, as this blog from Dr Kathryn Rix shows, MPs also played their part in coronation festivities … Continue reading MPs and the coronation of Edward VII
Picturing the Parliament of 1523
What did a meeting of the English Parliament look like 500 years ago? The earliest-known image of a state opening offers important clues, but also requires careful interpretation, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section explains… The picture shown below is the oldest near-contemporary image of an English Parliament that we know of. As such it has almost iconic status, and has been … Continue reading Picturing the Parliament of 1523
Liberalism, the law and Parliament in modern British history
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Ben Griffin of the University of Cambridge. On 2 May between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., Ben will discuss the relationship between liberalism, the law and Parliament in modern British history. The seminar takes place on 2 May 2023, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. You can attend online via Zoom. Details of … Continue reading Liberalism, the law and Parliament in modern British history
‘The most solemn, magnificent, and sumptuous ceremony’: The coronation of George II and Queen Caroline, 11 October 1727
Contemporaries were agreed that the coronation of George II and Queen Caroline on 11 October 1727 was spectacular. In our second Coronation-themed blog, Dr Charles Littleton looks back on the event and considers the roles played by some of those involved in it. For the Swiss traveller César de Saussure the coronation of 1727 was ’the most solemn, magnificent, and sumptuous ceremony it is anyone’s … Continue reading ‘The most solemn, magnificent, and sumptuous ceremony’: The coronation of George II and Queen Caroline, 11 October 1727
Preparations for the Coronation of Richard II
Continuing our blog series on coronations, Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project, reflects on the Coronation of the young King Richard II and the issue that hereditary roles had on the preparations for this Coronation. On 9 July 1377, a week before the day scheduled for the coronation of the ten-year-old Richard II, his uncle, John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, discharged a task … Continue reading Preparations for the Coronation of Richard II
