Assignment K (1968)

The History of English Poet Laureates 12th Century to Present Day

The position of Poet Laureate was informally created by Charles I for Ben Jonson in 1617, however, the title did not become an official royal office until it was conferred by letters patent on John Dryden in 1670. The position became the Poet Laureate of Great Britain in 1707, when The Act of Union created “Great Britain” as the political name of England, Scotland, and Wales.

The English Poet Laureate is the realm’s official poet.

• The Poet Laureate is a member of the royal household

• The Poet Laureate is charged with writing verses for court and national occasions such as the monarch’s 
  birthday, royal births and marriages, coronations and military victories

• The Poet Laureate was originally awarded the position for life, however, from 1999 the post is limited to 10 years

• The Poet Laureate is chosen by the British reigning monarch from a list of nominees that the Prime Minister compiles after the death of a poet laureate

• It is the Lord Chamberlain who appoints the poet laureate by issuing a warrant to the laureate-elect

• The life appointment is always announced in the London Gazette.

List Of Poet laureates from the 12th Century to Present Day

Gulielmus Peregrinus assigned by Richard the Lionheart
‘Master Henry’ assigned by Henry III
Robert Whittington serving Richard II
Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) serving Edward III
John Kay in the reign of Edward IV (1461-1483)

Bernard Andre of Toulouse (1450-1522) under Henry VII
John Skelton (1460-1529) was the ‘Poet Laureate’ under Henry VIII
Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) was the ‘Poet Laureate’ under Elizabeth I
Samuel Daniel was the ‘Poet Laureate’ under James I
Ben Jonson was the Poet Laureate under Charles I
Sir William Davenant (a godson of William Shakespeare) was the Poet Laureate under Charles I & Charles II

John Dryden (1668-1688)
Thomas Shadwell (1689-1692)
Naham Tate (1692-1715)
Nicholas Rowe (1715-1718)
Laurence Eusden (1718-1730)
Colley Cibber (1730-1757)
William Whitehead (1757-1785)
Thomas Warton (1785-1790)
Henry James Pye (1790-1813)
Robert Southey (1813-1843)
William Wordsworth (1843-1850)
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1850-1892)
Alfred Austin (1896-1913)
Robert Bridges (1913-1930)
John Masefield (1930-1967)
Cecil Day-Lewis (1968-1972)
Sir John Betjeman (1972-1984)
Ted Hughes (1984-1998)
Andrew Motion (1999 – 2009 ) appointed as Poet Laureate for ten years only

Carol Ann Duffy (2009 – to Present Day).

About the Author

Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com

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The Chinese call England “The Island of Hero’s” which I think sums up what we English are all about.

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