1658
Anthony Wood observes in his diary:
“Mr Richard Cromwell, Oliver Cromwell’s son was proclaimed Lord Protector at Oxford at the usual places where kings have been proclaimed. While he was proclaiming before St Mary’s church door, the mayor, recorder, town clerk, etc accompanied by Col Unton Croke and his troopers, were pelted with carrot and turnip-tops by young scholars and others who stood at a distance.”
1868
Queen Victoria writes to her daughter Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia about the new PM, Benjamin Disraeli:
“A proud thing for a man ‘risen from the people’ to have obtained! And I must say—really most legally; it is his real talent, his good temper and the way in which he managed the Reform Bill last year which have brought this about.”
Vicky replied:
“He is vain and ambitious, is he not? He must feel very proud of having risen to his present position which he owes to his talents and to the dearth of clever men in the Tory party I suppose? It is absurd to have an aristocratic prejudice against Mr Disraeli—on account of his being a Jew and an adventurer. A person that rises to a high place by his abilities has surely as good a right as anyone to be your Prime Minister.”
1916
Margot Asquith, the wife of Henry Asquith—who had just been replaced by David Lloyd George—notes in her diary:
“Henry said to me at night ‘A man who has no capacity for concord, a man who lives in low society, works every pressman and blackguard to his advantage, and who is not trusted by anyone who has ever served in his office, or in a cabinet with him, can never be prime minister of this country for long…”
1955
Winston Churchill held a retirement dinner in Downing Street —the guests include the Queen and Prince Philip. The following day Anthony Eden will succeed him as prime minister. Afterwards his long-serving private secretary Jock Colville followed him up to his bedroom. He records in his diary:
“He sat on his bed, still wearing his Garter, Order of Merit and knee breeches. For several minutes he did not speak, and I, imagining that he was sadly contemplating that this was his last night in Downing Street, was silent. Then suddenly he stared at me with vehemence: ‘I don’t believe Anthony can do it.’ His prophecies have often tended to be borne out by events.”
Anthony Wood observes in his diary:
“Mr Richard Cromwell, Oliver Cromwell’s son was proclaimed Lord Protector at Oxford at the usual places where kings have been proclaimed. While he was proclaiming before St Mary’s church door, the mayor, recorder, town clerk, etc accompanied by Col Unton Croke and his troopers, were pelted with carrot and turnip-tops by young scholars and others who stood at a distance.”
1868
Queen Victoria writes to her daughter Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia about the new PM, Benjamin Disraeli:
“A proud thing for a man ‘risen from the people’ to have obtained! And I must say—really most legally; it is his real talent, his good temper and the way in which he managed the Reform Bill last year which have brought this about.”
Vicky replied:
“He is vain and ambitious, is he not? He must feel very proud of having risen to his present position which he owes to his talents and to the dearth of clever men in the Tory party I suppose? It is absurd to have an aristocratic prejudice against Mr Disraeli—on account of his being a Jew and an adventurer. A person that rises to a high place by his abilities has surely as good a right as anyone to be your Prime Minister.”
1916
Margot Asquith, the wife of Henry Asquith—who had just been replaced by David Lloyd George—notes in her diary:
“Henry said to me at night ‘A man who has no capacity for concord, a man who lives in low society, works every pressman and blackguard to his advantage, and who is not trusted by anyone who has ever served in his office, or in a cabinet with him, can never be prime minister of this country for long…”
1955
Winston Churchill held a retirement dinner in Downing Street —the guests include the Queen and Prince Philip. The following day Anthony Eden will succeed him as prime minister. Afterwards his long-serving private secretary Jock Colville followed him up to his bedroom. He records in his diary:
“He sat on his bed, still wearing his Garter, Order of Merit and knee breeches. For several minutes he did not speak, and I, imagining that he was sadly contemplating that this was his last night in Downing Street, was silent. Then suddenly he stared at me with vehemence: ‘I don’t believe Anthony can do it.’ His prophecies have often tended to be borne out by events.”
