International Monarchist League - Establishment

Establishment

The Monarchist League was founded as a faux-chivalric body in 1943 by the Rev. John Edward Bazille-Corbin. He was a colourful character, who, according to Peter Anson whilst retaining his living as Anglican Rector of Runwell St Mary in Essex, also became titular Bishop of Selsey in Mar Georgius' 'Catholicate of the West'. An avid collector of titles and orders of a questionable nature, Bazille-Corbin used the titles of Duca di San Giaconio and Marquis de Beuvel.

The League eventually developed into a pressure and support group. Celebrating its Silver Jubilee in 1968, The Monarchist editorial said "in the late 50s and the early 60s a great resurgence took place in the League when negative and passive monarchism was turned into positive and aggressive monarchism."

The league is governed by a Grand Council, which includes some non-British representatives. The Chancellor for at least a decade prior to 1975 was Lieut.-Col., J. C. du Parc Braham, TD (1920–1990). Du Parc Braham was an industrious, but eccentric personality who kept the league's profile high. He was succeeded by Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol, who had been a member of the league's Grand Council previous to 1968. He subsidised the league and many of its events until his death in 1985.

Michael Wynne-Parker had been Principal Secretary from the late 1970s, and following the Marquess of Bristol's death also became the league's Acting Chancellor until 1987 when Count Nikolai Tolstoy was appointed to that position. Wynne-Parker was then made a Vice-Chancellor, a post which he held until standing down in March 1990.

In 1971, the league had numerous peers and notables as high-profile members, including Viscount Massereene and Ferrard, Baron Mowbray and Stourton, and John Biggs-Davison, MP, who was also on the league's 'Council of Honour'. In 1972 the Chancellor announced he had appointed Mr. Nicholas Parker "Director of Propaganda". Count Nikolai Tolstoy-Miloslavsky joined in late 1975, and Prince Moshin Ali Khan of Hyderabad and Lord Sudeley (Vice-Chancellor from 1985) were both announced as new members in 1980.

The league had an active youth wing (under 21s) which, in the mid-1960s, was run by David Charlesworth. In February 1979 Lord Nicholas Hervey was elected as President of the International Youth Association of the League, and contributed in the July 1981 edition of The Monarchist an article entitled "The Youth Association Spreading its Wings". In 1985 he also became a league Vice-Chancellor, and made the formal toast to the guests, the Prince and Princess of Lippe, at the League's Annual Dinner in the Cholmondeley Room, The House of Lords, on 1 April 1986. Lord Nicholas Hervey remained active in the league until 1992 when he retired due to ill health.