When Her Majesty succeeded her father it was hailed as the beginning of a new Elizabethan Age.
In fact her reign has been marked by break-up of Empire; the creation of the Commonwealth, some compensation, perhaps. Rather a relief her long reign has been punctuated by only the odd foreign policy cock-up: Suez, Iraq (twice), Afghanistan, Syria and Libya principally; not the swashbuckling successes of Raleigh and Drake and the destruction of the Armada, thank goodness.
The Prince of Wales is christened Charles Philip Arthur George. If he succeeds to the throne, he was looking rather rheumy at the Cenotaph, he might become King Arthur, heralding a new Arthurian Age? An affirmation of chivalry, respect for women and round table politics. On the other hand he might remember Arthur, a 1981 comedy film that wasn’t great even then; a terrible script even Dudley Moore and John Gielgud couldn’t salvage.
What he may not remember, is one of the four great London clubs: White’s, Boodle’s, Brooks’s and Arthur’s. Arthur’s was called after John Arthur a one-time proprietor of White’s. In 1826 a fine clubhouse was built for its members at 69 St James’s Street by Thomas Hopper. TH was a prolific architect – he even had time to design the ballroom at Slane Castle. Pevsner approves of Hopper’s work for Arthur’s, I think: “ the chastest Palladian style”. Although maybe not: “ elegance is here certainly not aimed at, rather substantial solidity”.
Leather Armchairs is a litany of the decline of clubland in St James’s in the latter half of the last century. An unfortunate synchronicity of events has preserved Thomas Hopper’s building. The Carlton Club in Pall Mall was destroyed by a bomb in the Blitz in 1940. Arthur’s ran out of money and their clubhouse became home to the Carlton.
This memorial, now at the Imperial War Museum (how long before Imperial is excised?), is of its time; listed in order of seniority, no club servants commemorated unless there was only Private C Board.
This trailer for Arthur is why you will not want to watch it.