05 December 1905

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister

Following the resignation of Arthur Balfour, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman travels to Buckingham Palace to meet King Edward VII. Margot Asquith recorded the scene in her diary, ‘Knowing that he ought to kneel and kiss hands, CB advanced and waited but the King interrupted by some commonplace remark; when he had finished speaking, CB again advanced meaning to kneel, but the King only wrung his hand, at which he felt the interview was over, as have had another try would have been grotesque. He retired…to Lord Knollys’s room and told him he feared he had never kissed hands at all, to which Lord Knollys replied that it did not matter, as he would see that it was properly published…next day.’ King Edward issued a Royal Warrant making Campbell-Bannerman the first person to hold the official title of Prime Minister.