On this day, 7 October 1965, Sir Robert Menzies accepts Queen Elizabeth II’s appointment to make him Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle. Menzies was to replace the recently deceased Winston Churchill in the centuries old ceremonial office, which he was the first non-British resident to hold.

The Cinque Ports are a grouping of five strategic harbours – Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich – which were once crucial to defending England from the threat of invasion. Their ‘confederation’ is believed to date back to the Anglo-Saxon era, and was kept in place by William the Conqueror, who offered them tax exemptions and the right to make their own by-laws in exchange for maintaining a defensive fleet. The Ports were thus so powerful that they acted virtually as an independent state – in some respects akin to Vatican City.

The office of Lord Warden as overseer of the Ports dates back at least to the 12th century, and its holders have often been central figures in British history. Constable of Dover Castle Hubert de Burgh, for example, helped to fight off the invasion of the French Prince Louis by holding the castle during a siege, and in doing so was crucial to the survival of Magna Carta. There was also Edward, Earl of Chester, ‘The Crusader,’ who became King Edward I; Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales — the victor at Agincourt as King Henry V; and James, Duke of York, Lord High Admiral, who became King James II. Until the 19th century the Ports even had their own special allocation of parliamentary members, which the Warden initially had the direct power to appoint. They also had the legal right to any shipwrecks which washed up on shore, and the legal obligation to bury any ‘fishes royal’, meaning whales, porpoises and sturgeon, which likewise washed up.

The Churchill appointment was a highly symbolic and emotive act, taking place in September 1941 when Hitler had conquered most of Europe and was making rapid strides in his initially successful invasion of the Soviet Union. In these circumstance, King George VI wanted to imbue his prime minister with the authority of history and tradition, as he faced the very real task of once again having to save Britain from an existential threat. Given the dire circumstances and onerous responsibilities Churchill was already faced with, the actual investiture would not take place until 1946.

By the time Menzies replaced him, the office was once again purely ceremonial, but it still marked a very important recognition of Menzies’s stature as a statesman and leader of the Commonwealth – as well as bestowing an honour on the nation he led. Menzies released a press statement saying that:

‘I was delighted to accept this appointment which I feel is as much a tribute to Australia as it is to me personally. The selection of an Australian for a position so steeped in British tradition and history is a real demonstration of the family bonds of the British Commonwealth. I am most conscious of the honour that has been done to me and it is a particular privilege to assume the appointment in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill. I can assure the citizens of the Cinque Ports that I will at all times do my best to uphold the finest traditions of this post. The appointment nowadays is purely honorary and no longer involves any judicial or administrative duties. However, I understand that the citizens of the Cinque Ports do like their Lord Warden to visit them from time to time and I will endeavour to resume the practice of the Lord Warden residing in the area for at least a week each year. I hope to be able to manage this while in Britain for the other matters that will no doubt take me there from time to time. As for the official installation at Dover Castle, no plans have yet been made for this. However, I hope the installation might be able to take place when affairs next take me to Britain.’

That installation would take place in July 1966, after Menzies had retired as Prime Minister. Menzies reportedly hated the elaborate uniform that came with the position, saying Churchill ‘enjoyed dressing up, I hate it’, and was jokingly asked if ‘fishes royal’ gave him an entitlement to mermaids.

When Sir Robert passed away in 1978, the post would be filled by the Queen Mother – another indication of just how prestigious of a title it remains. Such high titles are sometimes considered to be out of step with the Australian character, due to both its egalitarianism and tendency for ‘tall poppy syndrome’. This was reflected in how the Canberra Times responded to the appointment:

‘It is rather resounding and ripe with history, but is it really the Australian Prime Minister? Australians generally, we fear, will find it a trifle bizarre, but then their reputation is rather for sturdy commonsense than for any sense of history. So they may be less impressed than they ought to be. Nevertheless, it would be churlish to find fault. This is a unique honour; Sir Robert is the first man to be appointed to the post from outside Britain in some nine centuries, and while it is true that the occasion had to wait until the post no longer mattered, it remains an honour for all that. It is an honour too, to follow the incomparable Churchill, though no-one need fear that Sir Robert Menzies does not bring sufficient lustre to the title. Britain for her part is to be commended for looking to a Commonwealth man to fill the ancient style and title. Let the precedent be followed; the Commonwealth will be the healthier for it. For ourselves, we might turn the posts of Governor-General and State Governor and Chancellor of some Universities over to Commonwealth citizens from outside Britain. Finally, we think that Sir Robert, having accepted the honour, is a little out of order in expressing reservation about the uniform that goes with it. The British like their pageantry; the tourists flock in for it. In the one week of the year that Sir Robert expects to spend there, Walmer Castle could make the difference between solvency and bankruptcy in Britain’s foreign exchange earnings. Well, it is pleasant to see more honours heaped upon Sir Robert, but we must not take it too seriously’