News
TRH visit Bletchley Park and Milton's Cottage in Buckinghamshire
23rd July 2008
The Prince of Wales said today that the codebreaking centre at Bletchley Park was one of the "greatest British success stories", during a visit to the park with The Duchess of Cornwall.
The park is the former Intelligence Service Headquarters, where the German Enigma cipher was broken during the Second World War, a major turning point in the conflict.
During a day in Buckinghamshire which also included a visit to Milton’s Cottage, The Prince said Bletchley Park was a "remarkable" place and wished its trust well with its plans to develop the site.
Today as he unveiled a plaque, The Prince said: "I woke up this morning and turned the radio on and heard something about Bletchley Park.
"I though 'oh lord, what have I done now', but I was so pleased to hear that attention is being paid to this remarkable place.
"For both my wife and I, today has been a great treat."
In a speech to veterans and dignitaries, The Prince added: "You are the keepers of one of the greatest British success stories.
He said the codebreakers had "ensured that this country finally emerged victorious".
He said: "It's very lucky that if they had not cracked the codes we probably might have been in a completely different situation altogether by now.
"We owe all of them and those of you who are still with us today quite an enormous debt of gratitude and appreciation."
He praised founding members of the Trust who had prevented the site from being "raised to the ground" and said: "I can only wish the trust well in its plans to develop the site as a world-class heritage and education centre."
Their Royal Highnesses spent just under three hours touring Bletchley Park today.
They were greeted by dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire Peter Thorogood and were shown around various parts of the park by Simon Greenish, Director of the Bletchley Park Trust, and Sir Francis Richards, Chairman of Trustees.
Their Royal Highnesses saw a mock-up of a wartime Y Station codebreaking outpost as well as a slate sculpture of Alan Turing, the mathematician at the heart of codebreaking at Bletchley Park.
Sculptor Stephen Kettle handed The Prince a piece of slate engraved with Ich Dien – “I Serve” - the motto of The Prince of Wales.
The Prince was also given the opportunity to turn on the Bombe codebreaking machine - a rebuild of the wartime codebreaking machine used to break the Enigma cipher and other codes.
They also saw a reconstruction of Alan Turing's office and met veteran codebreakers Mavis and Keith Batey as well as the founder of the Bletchley Park Trust, Peter Wescombe.
The Prince and The Duchess met veterans from HMS Petard, responsible for capturing Enigma codebooks from U-boat 559, then met widow Rosamund Twinn, whose husband was head of the Abwehr Enigma section.
Mrs Twinn, 87, was one of a group of people who prepared a production of The Marriage of Figaro in 1943 which was broadcast on the BBC's Workers' Playtime.
Their Royal Highnesses were driven across the estate in a 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 used by Winston Churchill from just after the Second World War until 1964.
They were shown a rebuilt Colossus codebreaking machine, then officially opened a new exhibition Bletchley Park Spies and Double Agents, which includes details of the wartime exploits of James Bond author Ian Fleming.
Their Royal Highnesses and members of Ian Fleming's family were given a short presentation by veteran codebreakers Mavis and Keith Batey, who raised a laugh when they apologised for "jiggering" or breaking the Abwehr Enigma machine they had planned to demonstrate.
Mrs Batey, 87, said she had met The Prince on a former occasion but she thought this visit was well-timed to raise awareness of the importance of Bletchley Park.
She said: "We felt The Prince was so personally involved, he really did take a great interest.
"We tend to look backwards and think it's a good idea to show what people did but I think it's equally good to bring it up to date."
Their Royal Highnesses finished their visit by meeting Trust members and dignitaries, before giving a speech and unveiling the plaque, then meeting members of The Prince's Trust and signing the park's visitor's book.
Before the unveiling Sir Francis Richards, Chairman of Trustees, told the room of veterans, visitors, and Trust members: "This really is a great day for Bletchley.
"It's been an extraordinary privilege for us to be able to show Your Royal Highness both something of what has been achieved and something of what still remains to be achieved.
"It has been good that you have been able to meet some of those who made Bletchley a great place and some of those also who have been working to restore it to something of its former greatness and commemorate properly what was achieved here."
Founder member of the Trust, Peter Wescombe, said the whole day had been splendid.
He was responsible for preventing keeping Bletchley Park open when it fell under threat in 1991.
Later in the day, Their Royal Highnesses visited the former home of poet John Milton today, 31 years after his late grandmother declared he would love the cottage.
When the trust which looks after the cottage wrote to invite The Prince to visit, they mentioned her words and, today, His Royal Highness and The Duchess of Cornwall arrived for a look around.
Curator Edward Dawson said: "When the Queen Mother visited in 1977, she was heard to say: 'This is right up Charles's street.'
"We were able to remind Clarence House that the late Queen Mother had made that nice remark.
"Today, he said: 'I understand I have been sent here by my late grandmother'."
Their Royal Highnesses visit to the cottage in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, celebrated the 400th anniversary of Milton's birth.
Milton moved to the cottage in 1665 to escape the Great Plague in London and lived there for 18 months before returning to the capital.
His most famous work, Paradise Lost, was completed during his time there.
Earl Howe today presented The Prince and The Duchess with a folio edition of the epic verse, illustrated by William Blake.
The cottage's previous royal visitors have included The Queen and the late Princess Margaret.
Their Royal Highnesses today signed a special visitors' book on the page which followed The Queen's signature of 16th July, 1987.
The Prince and The Duchess were given a tour of the cottage, including the curator's personal rooms upstairs, and The Prince remarked: "It's very cosy in here," as they squeezed into what was Milton's kitchen.
They also admired the gardens and The Prince pulled at a tall stalk of ornamental grass overhanging the pass and joked: "Do you think that belongs there?"
After meeting the museum's gardeners, volunteers and supporters, Their Royal Highnesses unveiled a plaque commemorating their visit, which will be placed near the cottage's entrance.
The plaque had been hidden behind a flag of St. George until the ceremony.
Around 100 people waited outside for a glimpse of The Prince and The Duchess and there were claps and cheers as they arrived and left.
They both delighted the crowd by spending several minutes shaking hands and chatting.
Click here to visit the Bletchley Park website.