Harold Wilson: Bond with Queen, Illness & Allegations

Few relationships in British public life have sparked as much curiosity as the one between Harold Wilson and Queen Elizabeth II. A Yorkshireman with a pipe and a sharp wit, Wilson led the country through social upheaval and economic crises, all while maintaining a famously warm rapport with the monarch. This article explores their unique bond, the health struggles that shaped his later years, the shadowy allegations of the Wilson Plot, and the mixed legacy he left behind.

Years as Prime Minister: 1964–1970 and 1974–1976 ·
General election victories: 4 (1964, 1966, Feb 1974, Oct 1974) ·
Political party: Labour ·
Born: 11 March 1916 ·
Died: 23 May 1995

The snapshot table below distills Harold Wilson’s biography into key reference points.

Did the Queen have a good relationship with Harold Wilson?

What did the Queen think of Harold Wilson?

• The Queen reportedly valued Wilson’s straightforwardness and wit, describing their rapport as one of mutual respect (Sky HISTORY).
• Wilson himself described their relationship as a “relaxed intimacy” (Town & Country).
• After their first audience, the Queen reportedly invited Wilson to stay for drinks — a rare gesture of hospitality (Town & Country).

What was the nature of their weekly meetings?

• Wilson had a weekly audience with the Queen, a tradition he found valuable and insightful (Sky HISTORY).
• He was reportedly allowed to smoke his pipe during these meetings, breaking protocol (Town & Country).
• Wilson kept a photograph of himself with the Queen in his wallet, suggesting genuine personal fondness (Town & Country).

What illness did Harold Wilson have?

Did Harold Wilson have Alzheimer’s?

• Wilson was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the 1970s, though it was not publicly known at the time (Wikipedia).
• In his later years, he developed Alzheimer’s disease, which was disclosed by his family after his death (Wikipedia).
• A 1986 memo from the office of Geoffrey Howe described Wilson’s “failing memory” and tendency toward repetitive reminiscence, noting the decline had been visible by 1983 (Town & Country).

How did his health affect his resignation?

• Wilson resigned on 5 April 1976, citing his health as a factor (Wikipedia).
• Wikipedia notes that by 1976, Wilson may have been aware of the early stages of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (Wikipedia).
• He died on 23 May 1995 from colon cancer, aged 79 (Wikipedia).

Who was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite prime minister?

Why was Harold Wilson considered the Queen’s favorite?

• Multiple biographers note that the Queen found Wilson “intelligent, straightforward, and a pleasure to work with” (Sky HISTORY).
• Historian Peter Hennessy remarked that Wilson’s relationship with the monarchy was “the closest of any post-war prime minister” (Sky HISTORY).
• After Wilson’s resignation, the Queen appointed him to the Order of the Garter in 1976, a personal honor (Town & Country).

How did the Queen view other prime ministers?

• Churchill was deeply respected, but their relationship was more formal and deferential (Sky HISTORY).
• Thatcher later had a more distant relationship, marked by political clashes over sanctions and the Commonwealth (Sky HISTORY).

Was Wilson a good PM?

What were Harold Wilson’s achievements?

• Wilson led Labour to four general election victories — 1964, 1966, February 1974, and October 1974 (Wikipedia).
• He established the Open University in 1969, expanding access to higher education (Wikipedia).
• His government passed the Abortion Act 1967 and legalized homosexuality in England and Wales (Wikipedia).
• He kept the UK out of the Vietnam War, resisting US pressure to commit troops (Wikipedia).

What were his failures?

• His economic record was mixed: he devalued the pound in 1967, and inflation surged during his second term (Wikipedia).
• Industrial relations and trade union power proved difficult to manage, leading to strikes and the “Winter of Discontent” atmosphere that followed his tenure (Wikipedia).
• His handling of British membership in the European Economic Community was seen as hedging — he led a renegotiation but then campaigned for a Yes vote in the 1975 referendum (Wikipedia).

What are the Harold Wilson allegations?

What is the Wilson Plot?

• The “Wilson Plot” refers to allegations that MI5, possibly with CIA involvement, sought to destabilise or even overthrow Wilson’s government in the 1970s (Town & Country).
• MI5 kept a secret file on Wilson under the pseudonym “Norman John Worthington,” opened in 1945 when he first entered Parliament (Town & Country).
• Wilson himself believed there was a conspiracy against him, though official inquiries have dismissed the idea of a concerted plot (Wikipedia).

Was Wilson a Soviet spy?

• Unproven allegations that Wilson had ties to the Soviet Union circulated during the Cold War (Wikipedia).
• The MI5 file does not appear to show that Wilson was under active investigation as a possible spy, according to Town & Country.
• No credible evidence has ever surfaced to support the spy accusations.

How did the allegations affect his government?

• The allegations contributed to an atmosphere of paranoia in Wilson’s inner circle (Wikipedia).
• They remain a subject of historical debate, with some conspiracy theorists alleging a cover-up (Wikipedia).
• The BBC Radio 4 programme Document claimed in 2008 to have uncovered a secret government plan codenamed “Doomsday,” which proposed making Northern Ireland an independent dominion, allegedly devised by Wilson (Wikipedia).

Timeline

• 11 March 1916: Harold Wilson born in Huddersfield (Wikipedia).
• 1945: Elected to Parliament for Ormskirk (Wikipedia).
• 1947–1951: Served as President of the Board of Trade (Wikipedia).
• 1964–1970: First term as Prime Minister (Wikipedia).
• 1967: Devaluation of the pound sterling (Wikipedia).
• 1974–1976: Second term as Prime Minister (Wikipedia).
• 16 March 1976: Announced resignation as Prime Minister (Wikipedia).
• 23 May 1995: Died of colon cancer (Wikipedia).

Confirmed facts and open questions

Quotes from the record

I always enjoyed my weekly audiences. She was extremely well-informed and had a great sense of humour.

— Harold Wilson, describing his meetings with the Queen (via Sky HISTORY)

Wilson’s relationship with the monarchy was the closest of any post-war prime minister.

— Historian Peter Hennessy (Sky HISTORY)

The Queen found Wilson intelligent, straightforward, and a pleasure to work with.

— Multiple biographers, as reported by Sky HISTORY

Summary

Harold Wilson was a prime minister who won elections, transformed British society, and charmed a queen — but also governed during economic turbulence and left office under a cloud of allegations that still haunt the intelligence services. The implication for his legacy is that Wilson was a reformer who modernised Britain, but also a tactician who managed decline without fixing its root causes.

Frequently asked questions