Primrose League

But he ends up living with his Aunt Annie.

Now, it, this is important too, because she's a part of what is called the Primrose League.

Now, the Primrose League, for lack of a better word, is like a Protestant secret society, right? It's a group that was founded in 1883 by Lord Randolph Churchill, and what they...

It was kind of masqueraded by, behind these conservative principles, but it was also built on what is called Toryism.

Now, Toryism is the idea that the monarchy rules.

So this is in England, so the monarchy should be in control and power over everything.

As a matter of fact, the phrase God King or Queen in the country comes from Toryism.

So the whole entire Primrose League, which was modeled on another secret fraternal order, which was based on an Irish Protestant secret society called the Orange Order, this is what Aunt Annie's a part of.

Business, chiefly.

My father is secretary to the Primrose League.

I write all his letters for him.

Well, that's one way of being secretary to the Primrose League.

The usual way, I think.

Secretaries generally have under-secretaries, haven't they? My father dictates.

The colonel, more than ever convinced that his meteorological chronicle was concealed in Frida's room, ordered the door to be burst open.

Durant lent a shoulder to the work, and entered somewhat precipitately, followed by the colonel.

Whether you were a Labour or Marxist, like, if you're on the, because people had actually read Sybil.

Or they'd, you know, or they'd been, they'd had their political socialisation through the Primrose League, which was, you know, the most successful mass um political organization of the kind of turn of the 20th century legion of leagues moment had you know two million members by you know the edwardian period

so just just um tell us a little about the primrose league because it's called primrose league because the primrose is the flower associated with supposedly his favorite flower yes um but but um It is huge.

I mean, I've seen in endless charity shops, you will see the little pin badge.

It shows just the extent of that movement.

So Disraeli dies in 1881 and there's a bit of a moment and there are some figures that call themselves the fourth party.

So figures like Randolph Churchill, who's Winston's dad, and the Gausts and Henry Drummond.

There are parliamentary antics, but they also found in 1883, the Primrose League, which is founded in Disraeli's memory.

These are never phrases that Disraeli had used in his lifetime, but they start to come together as an expression of Disraelian conservatism.

In the mid-1880s, a new organisation is created called the Primrose League.

which is in theory named after Disraeli's favourite flower.

He told the Queen that the primrose was his favourite flower, so it probably wasn't, but it becomes his symbol.

Business chiefly.

My father is secretary to the Primrose League.

I write all his letters for him.

Well, that's one way of being secretary to the Primrose League.

The usual way, I think.

Secretaries generally have undersecretaries, haven't they? My father dictates.

The storm was over now.

It had driven the clouds into the north where they hung huddled and piled in a vast amphitheatre.

Tremendously exciting." Eddie made a note of it in his Cambridge pocket diary, a small and profusely inscribed volume without which he never moved, as his engagements were numerous and his head not strong.

He wrote below June eighth, "NSL, eight PM, Guildhall, small room." For the same date he had previously inscribed, "Fabiants, seven fifteen, Victoria Assembly Rooms; ECU protest meeting, Guildhall, large room, two fifteen; and Primrose League fête, Great Shelford Manor, three PM." He belonged to all these societies, they are all so utterly right, and many others more esoteric, and led a complex and varied life full of faith and hope.

With so many right points of view in the world, so many admirable, if differing, faiths, whither, he demanded, might not humanity rise? Himself, he joined everything that came his way, from vegetarian societies to heretic clubs and ritualist guilds.

All for him were full of truth.

The Dennisons, being intentionally English and strong home rulers, felt, besides the artistic admiration for the Abbey Theatre players common to all, a political enthusiasm for them as nationalists, so putting three of them up was a delightful hospitality.

Eddie, who shared both artistic and the political enthusiasm, was delighted to come to lunch.

Unfortunately, he would have to hurry away afterwards to the Primrose League fête at Great Shelford, but he did not mention this.

Consulting his watch, he found he was even now due at a meeting of a Sunday games club to which he belonged, so he said goodbye to the Dennisons and went.