With the nation having marked the The Queen's Platinum Jubilee this week, we wind the clock back to the start of Her Majesty's reign when the installation of a humble post box in Edinburgh caused headlines far beyond these shores.
In the months leading up to the Queen’s coronation in 1953, the Post Office continued the long tradition of replacing post boxes throughout the country with new ones - marked with E II R, which stands for Elizabeth II Regina.
But this would not go down well with many Scots, who argued that Scotland never had a Queen Elizabeth to begin with, so how could there possibly be a second?
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At Edinburgh's Inch housing estate, on the junction of Gilmerton Road and Walter Scott Avenue - an official party gathered on November 28, 1952, to unveil Scotland’s first E II R post box. The event soon became the cause of national outrage, with media coverage throughout the country and debates in the House of Commons.
As she took to the throne in February 1952, the Queen adopted the royal title of Elizabeth the Second. Some saw issue with this, claiming that she is the first Elizabeth to rule over the United Kingdom - with the Tudor Queen Elizabeth I having ruled the former kingdoms England and Ireland, but not Scotland.
With Elizabeth I never having ruled over the north, the fact that Her Majesty was considered our second Queen Elizabeth was unacceptable to many Scots. Shortly before the unveiling of the pillar box in Edinburgh, a pressure group had written to officials questioning the legality and validity of the E II R symbol.
They received no response, and within less than 48 hours of the box being unveiled the latest symbol had been defaced with tar. Within the week, a parcel containing gelignite was found inside.
Things came to an explosive end for the new pillar box at around 10pm on February 12, 1953, when Inch was rocked by an explosion that could be heard from miles around. The three month old box had been completely destroyed, due to another gelignite bomb.
The following day, the Belfast Telegraph told readers: “Its door was blown 30 yards across the main road. Nobody was injured, and no mail was found among the wreckage.”
Its assumed that no mail was found because locals were too afraid to use the box, having been aware of previous attempts to destroy it. The paper spoke to neighbours in the area, one of whom said: “The house was shaken by a terrific explosion. We couldn’t post a letter in it for fear that it might be destroyed.”
Michael Heron, a night watchman, was in his hit hut around 300 yards away from the box when it exploded. He said: “When I heard the explosion, I knew immediately that it was the box.”
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Reports stated that since it was officially opened, 28 attempts had been made to deface or destroy it. In December, paint had been splashed over the numerals - with more powerful explosives found inside in January.
With the post box in smouldering ruins, a Lion Rampant was found draped over it following the explosion in February. The post box debate became not only the talk of the nation, but spread within the British government.
Before long, a brand new pillar box was reinstated - with no signs of the E II R symbol. The issue was debated in the House of Commons, but any attempts to challenge Her Majesty’s right to be Elizabeth II proved to be unsuccessful.
A statement from the Crown declared that the title of the monarch should reflect the highest number from either the Kingdom of England or the Kingdom of Scotland. It was decided that north of the border, Scottish pillar boxes, vans, and other Post Office items would be branded with the Crown of Scotland from then on.
