King Charles urged to back the return of historic county Middlesex that was wiped from maps in 1965
Bring back Middlesex! King Charles is urged to back the return of the historic county that was wiped from maps in 1965 after more than 1,300 years
- Middlesex Heritage has written to the King urging him to recognise the county
Campaigners are calling on King Charles II to back the return of the historic Middlesex County Council, which was wiped from maps almost 60 years ago after its 1,300 years of existence.
Middlesex Heritage has written to the King to urge him to recognise the county he was born and crowned in.
To celebrate Middlesex Day, Number 10 on Downing Street led the flying of flags across the traditional county, which covers central London and a large portion of the north and west.
Other locations where the ancient banner flag flew over included Lord’s cricket ground, the Supreme Court and Harrow School.
Tributes celebrating a happy Middlesex Day poured in from Boris Johnson, whose seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip is considered to be in the historic county, and TV astrologist Russel Grant.
The County of Middlesex Heritage social media account posted some of the flying flags on Middlesex Day
The former Prime Minister said traditional counties were an ‘important part of our local culture and heritage’.
Middlesex Day is in reference to the the achievements of the 57th West Middlesex Regiment of Foot in a historic battle during the Napoleonic Wars.
The historic country council dates back to at least the eight century, but the growth of London has seen it disappear.
In 2014, Grant spoke of the great news after planning laws were changed to allow councils to display traditional county names alongside more modern creations.
He said: ‘This is great news for counties like my own, Middlesex. We lost our county council in 1965, but our county continues to exist.
‘Some London boroughs like Hounslow have actively supported Middlesex signs on their boundaries, and Brentford Chamber of Commerce are keen to proclaim the town as the historic county town of Middlesex.
‘These common sense changes will give local councils and communities the confidence to promote historic local heritage and identity.’
Campaigners are desperate to get King Charles II to back the return of the historic Middlesex County Council
The boundaries of England’s 39 traditional counties have remain largely unchanged since the Domesday Book.
But successive waves of local government reorganisation, most notably Edward heath’s 1972 shake-up, have threatened to blur their boundaries and wipe some off the map altogether.
