International Monarchist League

The International Monarchist League (known until the mid-1990s as the Monarchist League) is an organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the monarchical system of government and the principle of monarchy worldwide. It has been active in advocating the restoration of the monarchy in countries that have become republics in the twentieth century, particularly since World War II. The League is based in the United Kingdom.

The Rev. John Edward Bazille-Corbin (born Corbin, 1887–1964) founded the Monarchist League as a -chivalric body in 1943. Bazille-Corbin was a colourful character, who, according to Peter Anson, whilst retaining his living as Anglican Rector of Runwell St Mary in Essex, also became titular Bishop of Selsey in Mar Georgius' "Catholicate of the West". An avid collector of titles and orders of a questionable nature, Bazille-Corbin used the titles of Duca di San Giaconio and Marquis de Beuvel.

The League eventually developed into a pressure and support group. Celebrating its Silver Jubilee in 1968, The Monarchist editorial said "in the late 50s and the early 60s a great resurgence took place in the League when negative and passive monarchism was turned into positive and aggressive monarchism."

The league is governed by a "Grand Council", which includes some non-British representatives. The Chancellor for at least a decade prior to 1975 was Lieut.-Col. J. C. du Parc Braham, TD (1920–1990). Du Parc Braham, an industrious but eccentric personality, kept the league's profile high. He was succeeded by Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol, who had been a member of the league's Grand Council previous to 1968. He subsidised the league and many of its events until his death in 1985.

Michael Wynne-Parker had been Principal Secretary from the late 1970s, and following the Marquess of Bristol's death also became the league's Acting Chancellor until 1987 when Count Nikolai Tolstoy was appointed to that position. Wynne-Parker was then made a Vice-Chancellor, a post which he held until standing down in March 1990.

In 1971, the league had numerous peers and notables as high-profile members, including John Whyte-Melville-Skeffington, 13th Viscount Massereene, Charles Stourton, 26th Baron Mowbray, and John Biggs-Davison, MP, who was also on the league's 'Council of Honour'. In 1972 the Chancellor announced he had appointed Mr. Nicholas Parker "Director of Propaganda". Count Nikolai Tolstoy-Miloslavsky joined in late 1975, and Prince Moshin Ali Khan of Hyderabad and Lord Sudeley (Vice-Chancellor from 1985) were both announced as new members in 1980.

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