26 March 1945

Death of David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, Liberal Prime Minister 1916-22

In old age Lloyd George remained a considerable political figure, he lead the Liberal Party 1926-31 and remained as MP for Caernarvon Boroughs which he had represented since 1890. His last major speech in parliament came in 1940 during the Norway debate which led to the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. In increasingly poor health, Lloyd George accepted Winston Churchill’s offer of an Earldom in the 1945 new year’s honours list, although he had yet to take up his seat when he died. In parliament, Churchill made the official peroration, ‘When the British history of the first quarter of the 20th century is written, it will be seen how great a part of our fortunes in peace or in war were shaped by this one man.’ Another Welshman Aneurin Bevan added a touch of poetry, ‘We have lost in his death the most iridescent figure that ever illuminated the British political scene.’