Three visitors’ books from Downing Street signed by some of the most famous names in modern history have been released to the public for the very first time.
The gilt-edged volumes, covering the years 1970, when Edward Heath was prime minister, to 2003 when Tony Blair was in office, have been released to the National Archives at Kew, west London.
The remarkable collection of signatures includes numerous world leaders and members of the Royal Family, such as the late Queen, Princess Diana and King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales.
The guest books provide valuable insight into who had private conversations with prime ministers in the past, as the names of visitors to Number 10 are rarely made public.
The red leather books were discovered earlier this year, when one was offered for sale by a west London auction house.
The sale was ultimately blocked after the Cabinet Office claimed the book was government property.
When the late Queen visited Downing Street she would sign herself Elizabeth R, while the present King and his then wife were simply Charles and Diana.
Signatures also include successive US presidents from Jimmy Carter through Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior and Bill Clinton to George Bush junior.
While some simply signed their names, others left personal messages – mostly to Margaret Thatcher, who spent more than a decade in Number 10 from 1979 to 1990.
At the end of his visit in 1989, the elder Mr Bush wrote: “With respect, friendship, and gratitude for this relationship that means so much” to which his wife, Barbara, added: “Me. too.”
In the same year, the then French prime minister Michel Rocard shared a slightly frostier note.
He said: “It always is an extraordinary occasion to confront with the prime minister, especially when we agree, even when we disagree. Thank you very, very much.”
In 1996, South Africa’s president Nelson Mandela noted “visiting Downing St, No 10, is always an unforgettable experience” while Czech president Vaclav Havel added a heart sign under his name.
Two particularly remarkable pages commemorate the 250th anniversary of Number 10 in 1985.
The first is signed by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who signed himself Philip.
The facing page is then signed by all five surviving former prime ministers, Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and James Callaghan, as well as the then incumbent Margaret Thatcher.
Other notable guests over the years include Sir Winston Churchill’s widow, Clementine, the Second World War commander Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
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It appears that the visitors’ book was introduced by Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath, who lived in Number 10 between 1970 and 1974.
But it was rarely used by some former leaders, with the premierships of John Major and Sir Tony Blair having few entries.
One message, from early 2002 shortly after the 9/11 attacks on New York, came from the city’s former mayor Rudy Giuliani.
He said: “Mr prime minister, we are eternally grateful for your support for us at a time of great peril, you will always hold a special place in the minds and hearts of all New Yorkers and Americans.”
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The existence of the books came to light earlier this year when one was offered for sale at auction.
According to the auctioneers, Chiswick Auctions, the seller was a retired civil servant who found it after he was given permission to remove water-damaged boxes marked for incineration following a flood in Whitehall.
It had been expected to raise around £15,000 but the sale was suspended after the Cabinet Office claimed it was government property under the Public Records Act 1958.
