How did Bognor Regis get its name

A. The question came from dmbr34937 and was answered briefly by Answerbank pal incitatus. As he says, the royal title was bestowed by King George V.

Q. Why

A. In January, 1929, Buckingham Palace announced that King George V was to be moved to Bognor to recover from his serious illness. He had caught a chill the previous November - probably at the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph - which had affected his right lung.

Q. A chill

A. It was probably made worse by his smoking, although nobody mentioned that. At the beginning of December, 1928, the nation was told that the king's heart was weakening. He became unconscious and after a lung operation he began his determined struggle for life.

On 22 January, it was announced: 'The time is approaching when His Majesty's removal to sea air will be advantageous.' The place chosen was bracing Bognor, on the Sussex coast.

Q. Where An hotel

A. Oh no - a private residence, Craigweil House, was 'placed at His Majesty's disposal' by Sir Arthur du Cross, baronet. On Saturday, 9 February, Queen Mary arrived to await the King. An hour later the king arrived and spent 13 weeks of recuperation there.

During that time, he received many visitors: his sons the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York (the future Edward VIII and George VI), their sister Princess Mary, Queen Maud and Prince (later King) Olaf of Norway. On 17 March the king's two-year-old granddaughter Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) arrived for a fortnight. So in a space of weeks, Bognor was host to one sovereign and three future reigning monarchs.

Q. It worked

A. The sea air was just the tonic he needed - and a grateful king bestowed the title Regis on Bognor on 26 July, 1929.

Q. And who was this kind Baronet host

A. Arthur Philip Du Cros was born in Dublin in 1871 and took over his father Harvey's Pneumatic Tyre company. He founded the Dunlop Rubber Company in 1901, and devoted 25 years to its development. He was Conservative MP for Hastings (1908-18), coalition Unionist MP for Clapham (1918-22), and became known as an aviation and motor pioneer, particularly in the armed forces. He was made a baronet in 1916 and continued philanthropic works until he lost much of his fortune when the company failed. He died in 1955.

Q. And the king

A. He returned to health - but was never particularly strong afterwards. On his deathbed in 1936, his last words are supposed to be: 'How is the empire '

An alternative version is given of the story. One of his attendants told the king that he hoped he would be well again soon, so that he could visit the seaside town once more. The king replied: 'Bugger Bognor!'

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Steve Cunningham