08 April 1908

H. H. Asquith is appointed Prime Minister by King Edward VII in a hotel room in the South of France

The king was holidaying in Biarritz and, unwilling to interrupt his holiday, Asquith was summoned there. Following the adjournment of the House of Commons on 6th April Asquith secretly caught the boat train for Paris. Writing to his wife Margot afterwards, Asquith described the scene. ‘This morning I put on a frock coat and…went to the King who was similarly attired. I presented him with a written resignation of the office of Chr. of the Exr; & he then said ‘I appoint you P.M. & First Lord of the Treasury’ whereupon I knelt down and kissed his hand. Voila tout! He then asked me to…breakfast with him. We were quite alone for an hour & I went over all the appointments with him. He made no objection to any of them and discussed the various men very freely & with a good deal of shrewdness.’