Our royal visitors
POPULAR WITH GENERATIONS OF ROYALS
The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) visits Leamington in 1923 to open the Princes Drive bridge. |
Only recently the Duke of Gloucester visited the Pump Room and Jephson Gardens.
Since Queen Victoria as princess first tasted the medicinal spa waters in 1830 the town has received many royal family members and extended family over the decades who have always been made welcome.
1830 - A visit from their royal highness the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria. The Courier said: “Perhaps there is no place in the empire, of its size, which when occasion requires, displays more genuine loyalty patriotism, and public spirit than in the town of Leamington.”
The duchess said: “Sir I beg you will assure the inhabitants and visitors of Leamington that I am highly gratified with the kind reception the princess and myself have been met with here.”
1892 - The 53rd Royal Show at Warwick was graced by the presence of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York.
On a train at Leamington Station are the then Queen Elizabeth with her husband King George VI. The year is believed to be 1951. |
The Queen was a charming and gracious figure in a loose coat of lilac shade with long hanging panels edged with grey fur.”
The couple also visited Ryton-on-Dunsmore for a police dog display.
1977 - The Queen celebrates her golden jubilee.
1985 - The big secret was out. The Queen and Princess Anne were among guests at Warwick’s Society wedding of the year. Crowds flocked to see the marriage of the Hon Michael Knatchbull and Melissa Owen held at St Mary’s Church. Many waited for nearly three hours to see the royal guests who included Prince Charles. More than 600 guests attended the wedding and the glorious sunshine helped make it a right royal occasion.
1985 - Crowds at Warwick Races on Saturday were delighted by an impromptu royal visit by the great racing fan the Queen Mother. On her arrival the standard was unfurled and among those she was greeted by were the Mayor of Warwick Coun Naomi Kendall and the chairman of Warwick District Council Coun Agnes Leddy.
1986 - Stunning Di stops to stay ‘Hello’. Warwick easily rivalled Leamington in its excited welcome for Princess Diana. Flags were waved by the waiting crowds lining the route between the neighbouring towns, anxious to catch a glimpse of the elegant young princess.
2000 - The Queen Mother celebrates her 100th birthday and the Courier compiles a tribute of all her visits to the district.
2002 - Streets are bedecked with union jack flags in preparation for street parties to celebrate the Queen’s Golden jubilee. The 1980s was a popular time for them to visit but not everyone was willing to have the council money spent to accommodate their visits.
December 4, 1987 - Council prices royal visit. Warwick District Council’s finance subcommittee have agreed to set aside £10,000 to meet the costs of the hoped for royal visit at the official opening of the Royal Priors.
Chief Executive Michael Ward said: “I certainly don’t think we should spend it all, it is a safeguard.”
Conservative leader Coun Ken Rawnsley said: “We are talking about the Royal Priors in Royal Leamington Spa and I am sure we would all be delighted to have a Royal to open it. It is a first class commercial investment.”
On December 11, 1987 in the letters page Ann Glaze of Honiwell Close, Harbury wrote:
“I have just read with great disgust the Warwick District Council’s finance subcommittee have agreed to set aside £10,000 to meet the costs of a hoped for Royal opening of the Royal Priors. Are these people mad? How can they possible justify spending all that money. With all the needy people there must be in the area who desperately need help. I think spending £10,000 on opening a shopping mall - complete and utter madness.”
Lorraine O’Hare
Some of our royal visitors over the years
The Duke of Edinburgh meets youngsters during a visit to Ryton. |
1838 - Emporer of France
1839 - Willian IV’s wife
1847 - Prince George of Denmark
1858 - Queen Victoria and Prince Consort
1879 - Princess Mary
1892 - King Edward VII
1923 - Prince of Wales - later Duke of Windsor
1929 - Duchess of York
1941 - His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent who later died in an air crash
1951 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
1955 - Princess Alexandra
1960 - Princess Margaret
1966 - Queen Elizabeth
1977 - The Silver Jubilee
1981 - Duchess of Kent
1986 - Prince of Wales
The Queen meets schoolchildren on a visit to Warwick.
On walkabout is the Queen after opening the Royal Priors shopping centre.
Our Members of Parliament
EIGHT HOLDERS OF AN HONOURABLE OFFICE
WHEN the first edition of the Leamington Courier was published on August 9 1828 it was launched to a very different Warwickshire to today.
MPs could be appointed by a handful of landowners with just a few electors who might sell their votes to the highest bidder.
There was a lot less movement in the political system, with MPs holding their seats for several decades.
The longest serving MP in the county was Sir Charles Mordaunt who held his seat for 40 years continuously from 1734 to 1774.
The situation continued until the 1832 Great Reform Act when the number of people allowed to vote was increased and the system was improved.
The Borough of Warwick was created, which included Leamington and was covered by four MPs - two who were elected to the county and two to the borough.
This changed again in 1885 when further reforms led to single member constituencies and Warwick and Leamington was first created.
But the constituency covered a much larger area than it does today. When Anthony Eden was MP from 1923 to 1957 the area was twice the size it is currently.
It included Kenilworth, Baginton and Bubbenhall and stretched as far south as Atherstone on Stour and Bidford on Avon.
Warwick and Leamington has gradually reduced in size as the population has grown and is likely to be further reduced in the 2007 boundary changes.
Warwick and Leamington MP James Plaskitt said: “People say it’s strange that Labour hold a seat that was held by Anthony Eden, but my constituency is very different to his.”
He added: “If you look at the list of MPs for this area all of them were knighted or had titles. It won’t happen to me though because we have abolished political honours.”
Sir Anthony Eden
Sir Anthony Eden. |
He was just 26 years old when he took the job and the fast-rising politician was known for his elegant appearance and demeanour.
Eden was born in 1897 and joined the army after the outbreak of the First World War. He was awarded the military cross for the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
Following the war he decided to pursue a career in politics and three years after being elected he was appointed parliamentary private secretary at the Foreign Office.
He became foreign secretary under Stanley Baldwin’s 1935 government, but resigned from office three years later after a disagreement with Neville Chamberlain on how to deal with fascism in Europe.
Eden was reappointed foreign secretary by Winston Churchill in 1940 and when the Conservatives came back into power in 1950 he took up the position for the third time.
His moment of glory came in 1955 when he replaced Churchill as Prime Minister.
But it was short lived as he became involved in secret negotiations with Britain, France and Israel over attacking Egypt.
The three countries were forced to withdraw and Eden resigned in failing health in January 1957.
He was created the Earl of Avon in 1961 and spent the final years of his life writing his memoirs. He died in 1977.
James Plaskitt
James Plaskitt. |
He beat Conservative sitting candidate Sir Dudley Smith who had held Warwick and Leamington since 1968.
He became the first Labour MP for the constituency and the first non-Conservative MP since Liberal member Sir Thomas Berridge lost his seat after just one term.
Mr Plaskitt was born in 1954 in Grimsby and educated in Bedford before going to University College, Oxford to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
He pursued an academic career teaching at Oxford and Brunel universities and was elected to Oxfordshire County Council in 1985, becoming leader of the Labour Group in 1990 until 1996.
Mr Plaskitt unsuccessfully contested Witney in the 1992 general election and moved to Leamington in 1996 after being selected as Labour’s candidate for the 1997 election.
He was re-elected to Warwick and Leamington in the 2001 general election and he also serves on the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee.
Sir Arthur Wellesley Peel
One of Warwickshire’s most illustrious MPs was Sir Arthur Wellesley Peel, Prime Minister’s son and speaker of the House of Commons.
Sir Arthur was born in 1829, the youngest son of Sir Robert Peel. He married Adelaide Dugdale from Merevale, Warwickshire and had seven children.
He tried unsuccessfully to get elected in Coventry in 1863, but two years later managed to secure a seat as a Liberal county MP for Warwick, at the age of 36.
He rose to prominence in William Gladstone’s government when he was parliamentary secretary to the Poor Law Board from December 1868 to January 1871.
When Sir Arthur was unanimously elected to be Speaker of the House of Commons in 1884 he gave an acceptance speech which was branded a masterpiece and compared to his father’s great eloquence.
The following year Warwick and Leamington became a single member constituency and Sir Arthur its first MP.
He remained speaker for 11 years, until 1895 when he resigned due to ill health and was created a Viscount.
He was succeeded in his constituency by Sir Alfred Lyttleton and he died in Bedfordshire in 1912.
Sir Arthur earned respect from both sides of the House during his time as speaker and witnesses reported the sound of his robes rustling as he stood up to call people to order was enough to stop any commotion.
Information supplied by James Plaskitt MP from his own research.
MPs for Warwick and Leamington since 1885
(when it became a single member constituency)
1997- James Plaskitt (Lab)
1968 - 1997 Sir Dudley Smith (Con)
1957-1968 Sir John Hobson (Con)
1923-1957 Sir Anthony Eden (Con)
1910-1923 Ernest Pollock
1906-1910 Sir Thomas Berridge
1895-1906 Sir Alfred Lyttelton
1885-1895 Sir Arthur Wellesley Peel (Lib Unionist)
