Thread by @thehistoryguy

100 years ago today London witnessed a revolution.

An unknown soldier, in a coffin of Hampton Court oak, with a crusader sword from the Royal Collection, was buried among the monarchs in Westminster Abbey.

A century before the dead of Waterloo had been robbed, tipped into mass graves, then exhumed for fertiliser & dentures!

Now in the eyes of many, including the Prime Minister David Lloyd George who grew up in a cobblers cottage, a soldier was a fellow citizen, a voter, an equal.

So at least four soldiers were exhumed, and one was chosen at random. He was awarded the Legion d'honnneur, accompanied by Marshal Foch and a division of troops, placed aboard HMS Verdun and arrived in the UK to a Field Marshal's salute.

(The story is told beautifully by Juliet Nicolson on the latest podcast)

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dan…

Today in 1920 the coffin was accompanied by the King Emperor through the streets, watched by gigantic crowds. Field Marshals and Admirals of the Fleet were pall bearers.

In the Abbey 100 Victoria Cross winners made up a guard of honour. War widows were the given pride of place.

He was buried, not just in the Abbey but in the centre of the nave at the western entrance, after tens of thousands of mourners had filed by. The grave was filled with earth from the battlefields of the Western Front. It was an act of collective mourning on a massive scale.

Please have a watch of this @HistoryHit documentary about the Unknown Warrior made with the team at the @NAM_London. It is totally free today, no login required.

tv.historyhit.com/watch/37318633