The Sicily Journey
In January 1912, Prime Minister H.H. Asquith and his colleague Edwin Montagu traveled to Sicily for a holiday, where they were joined by Asquith's daughter Violet and her friend Venetia Stanley. The group spent a fortnight touring ancient ruins and enjoying the 'cool clean air'.
Sicily 1912: The Prime Minister's Holiday
A sun-drenched trip to Sicily reveals the shifting dynamics of Asquith's inner circle and the dawn of his obsession with Venetia Stanley.
Character Perspectives(How each character saw that)
Violet Asquith
Violet found the sightseeing 'strenuous but remunerative,' delighting in the 'luminous brown-gold of the ruins' at Girgente and the beauty of Taormina. However, she found close proximity to Montagu trying, writing that 'his physique - & physical habits get so terribly on my nerves'.
Venetia Stanley
Venetia later reflected on the trip in a letter to Montagu, stating, 'I agree that we had a very good time in Sicily,' though she qualified this by adding she could imagine 'even more ideal conditions'.
H.H. Asquith
Asquith viewed the holiday as an escape from the 'small and large worries of life' and found Montagu to be 'an excellent travelling companion'. He later identified this trip as the 'first stage of our intimacy' with Venetia.
Edwin Montagu
Montagu participated in the group's activities but showed signs of physical squeamishness; during a visit to the catacombs in Syracuse, he 'paled at the skulls'. He acquired the nickname 'Tante'.
Fun Fact
The group engaged in a game of hide-and-seek after dark in a Greek garden at Girgente.
Sources
- • Violet Asquith Diaries
- • The Asquiths Book
- • Asquith Letters
- • Naomi Levine