1952 - The Queen's Visit
The highlight of the School’s celebrations of its fourth centenary year in 1952 was a visit by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh on 24th October.
The Queen had expressed the desire to see the School on a normal working day. As can be imagined, it took many hours of debate and discussion to organise 'a normal day' for the visit, which ended up being "a mad scramble as boys appeared and reappeared, as soldiers, as gymnasts, as fives players, as runners, in order to be discovered being 'normal'” (Michael Charlesworth, Behind the Headlines).
An evocative Pathé newsreel captures some of the excitement of the day:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/queen-at-shrewsbury
The day’s proceedings including the inspection of an impressive Guard of Honour, a mass PT display, a visit to the Moser Library where the Queen was presented with a copy of a Masque (‘Call-Over’) written by Paul Dehn to celebrate the School’s 400th anniversary, exhibitions in the Darwin Building of science, art and photography (including an engaging series of science experiments which were apparently particularly enjoyed by Prince Philip), and a visit to the Carpenter’s Shop where, at her own request, the Queen met members of support staff who had been at the School for more than 15 years.
Photo: PT Display
Photo: Inspection of the Guard of Honour
Photo: Science Exhibition
Also at Her Majesty’s special request, senior boys from all the Houses were invited to lunch with her in School House, together with James Hill and two members of Shrewsbury House in Liverpool. An account of the day published in The Salopian records that “The Queen sat between the Head of the School and the Senior Praepostor, and the conversation flowed merrily along”.
In the afternoon, the Queen formally opened a new Terrace for the Main School Building, overlooking the town and the river, with the boys eagerly gathered on the bank below. They cheered her lustily, particularly when it was announced that to mark her visit they were to be given an extra three days’ holiday. The day was rounded off with a rousing Chapel Service.
Photos above and below: Opening of the Queen’s Terrace
Buckingham Palace
27th October, 1952
My dear Headmaster,
Both Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh very much enjoyed their day at the School and were much impressed with the tone and efficiency of everything they saw, and particularly perhaps, by the smartness of the Guard of Honour, the spirited playing of the Band and the remarkable coordination of the mass display of Physical Training. What impressed Her Majesty most, however, was the happiness and the naturalness of the boys, shown among other things by their rousing singing in Chapel; and she was very glad to be able to meet several of them.
The Queen finally wishes me to thank you personally for your hospitality and for a visit to which both Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh look back with particular pleasure.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Ford
The visit was one of the first official engagements the Queen undertook, having acceded to the throne just eight months previously. On 9th September 2015, the day Her Majesty became the longest reigning British monarch, ITV Central News broadcast a special feature on her 1952 visit to the School. Three Salopians who had vivid memories of it were invited back to tell their stories to ITV journalist Gareth Jones.
David Longrigg (Ch 1949-54) was 16 years old at the time; Adrian Struvé had just begun his third year as a master at the School (he would remain here until his retirement in 1986); and Jane Tupper was daughter of A.E. Taylor, who was Housemaster of School House until his sudden death in March 1952, one month after the death of the Queen’s own father. Jane had returned from university to help her mother organise the lunch for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, which was served in School House. She has particularly strong memories of the occasion and was deeply impressed by the Queen’s sense of humour, her evident enjoyment of the day and the interest she took in the people she met.
To view the ITV Central News interview, please press play on the video below.