SIR JOHN BETJEMAN (1906-84)
A Ballad of the Investiture 1969
1977RCIN 1047139
John Betjeman’s offering on the Investiture of The Prince of Wales, 1969. The poem itself is indicative of the changing role of the Poet Laureate. Unlike Day-Lewis’s poem on this occasion, which follows the more traditional celebratory ode form, Betjeman’s poem is intimate and autobiographical.
Presented to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother by John Betjeman, 1977