Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom...

Back to a bit of culture today.  Also known as the British Poet Laureate, this is an honorary position appointed by the reigning monarch.  The main responsibility of the Poet Laureate is to write verse for occasions of national significance.  In mediaeval times, the post was known as the versificator regis (King's poet),  Here is a list of all British Poet Laureates.


Versificator Regis

Richard Canonicus (employed by Richard I)
Gulielmus Peregrinus (employed by Richard I)
Master Henry (employed by Henry III)
Andrew Baston (during the reign of Edward I and Edward II)
Geoffrey Chaucer (during the reign of Richard II)
John Kay (during the reign of Edward IV)

Poet Laureate

Bernard Andre (1450-1522) - appointed by Henry VII
John Skelton (1460-1529) - appointed by Henry VIII
Edmund Spenser (1522-1599) - appointed by Elizabeth I
Samuel Daniel (1562-1619) - appointed 1599 by Elizabeth I
Ben Jonson (1572-1637) - appointed 1616 by James I

Ben Jonson, dramatist, poet, and actor by Lisby is licensed under CC BY 2.0

William Davenant (1606-1668) - appointed 1638 by Charles I
John Dryden (1631-1700) - appointed 1668 by Charles II *
Thomas Shadwell (1642-1692) - appointed 1689 by William III and Mary II
Nahum Tate (1652-1715) - appointed 1692 by William III and Mary II
Nicholas Rowe (1674-1718) - appointed 1715 by George I
Laurence Eusden (1688-1730) - appointed 1718 by George I
Colley Cibber (1671-1757) - appointed 1730 by George II
William Whitehead (1715-1785) - appointed 1757 by George II **
Thomas Wharton (1728-1790) - appointed 1785 by George III ***
Henry James Pye (1745-1813) - appointed 1790 by George III ****
Robert Southey (1774-1843) - appointed 1813 by George III *****
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) - appointed 1843 by Victoria
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) - appointed 1850 by Victoria ******
Alfred Austin (1835-1913) - appointed 1896 by Victoria *******
Robert Bridges (1844-1930) - appointed 1913 by George V
John Masefield (1878-1967) - appointed 1930 by George V
Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-1972) - appointed 1968 by Elizabeth II
John Betjeman (1906-1984) - appointed 1972 by Elizabeth II

Betjeman by Eljay is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Ted Hughes (1930-1998) - appointed 1984 by Elizabeth II ********
Andrew Motion (1952-    ) - appointed 1999 by Elizabeth II *********
Carol Ann Duffy (1955-    ) - appointed 2009 by Elizabeth II




* Dryden was dismissed in 1688 by William III and Mary II
** Whitehead accepted the post on the refusal of Thomas Gray
*** Wharton accepted the post on the refusal of William Mason
**** Pye accepted the post on the refusal of William Hayley
***** Southey accepted the post on the refusal of Walter Scott
****** Tennyson accepted the post on the refusal of Samuel Rogers
******* Austin accepted the post on the refusal of William Morris
******** Hughes accepted the post on the refusal of Philip Larkin
********* Motion retired from the post in 2009