Three visitors' books from Downing Street signed by some of the most famous names in modern history have been released to the public for the very first time. The gilt-edged volumes, covering the years 1970, when Edward Heath was prime minister, to 2003 when Tony Blair was in office, have been released to the National Archives at Kew, west London.
The remarkable collection of signatures includes numerous world leaders and members of the Royal Family, such as the late Queen, Princess Diana and King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. The guest books provide valuable insight into who had private conversations with prime ministers in the past, as the names of visitors to Number 10 are rarely made public.
The red leather books were discovered earlier this year, when one was offered for sale by a west London auction house. The sale was ultimately blocked after the Cabinet Office claimed the book was government property. When the late Queen visited Downing Street she would sign herself Elizabeth R, while the present King and his then wife were simply Charles and Diana.
Signatures also include successive US presidents from Jimmy Carter through Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior and Bill Clinton to George Bush junior. While some simply signed their names, others left personal messages - mostly to Margaret Thatcher, who spent more than a decade in Number 10 from 1979 to 1990.
