red boxes
Mark Spahn
I am reading, in a desultory way (jumping around randomly from page to page). the 2015 book "17 Carnations: the royals, the Nazis, and the Biggest Cover-Up in History" by Andrew Morton. It is about the prince ("Edward") and his married American mistress Wallis Simpson. Here is a paragraph from page 88:
"Winston Churchill, who indulged the prince like this often wayward and spoiled son Randolph, consistently argued that the king's advisors should play the long game, believing that if the prince's passion was allowed to run its course then after a while the woman he and Max Beaverbrook called "Cutie" would become a creature of his past. He conceded, though, that Mrs. Simpson had been a positive influence in Edward's life, successfully encouraging him to eat properly, to cut down on his drinking and smoking -- and to be more diligent with his red boxes."
I am stopped by the last two words, "red boxes". All I can infer is that red boxes are something one should be diligent with? Maybe the meaning of "red box" is something that has been explained previously in this book, so I looked up "red box" in the Index at the back of the book. But the section titled "Index" at the back of the book deals only with proper names, like Mary of Keck, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and USS _Tuscaloosa_. The chapter-by-chapter Source Notes are of no help either. Maybe an online search on "red box" or "red boxes" will shed some light...
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=red+box&t=chromentp&ia=web
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=red+boxes&t=chromentp&ia=web
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_box_(government)
Red boxes, or sometimes ministerial boxes, are a type of despatch box[1] produced by Barrow Hepburn & Gale or Wickwar & Co and are used by ministers in the British government and the British monarch to carry government documents. Similar in appearance to a briefcase, they are primarily used to hold and transport official ministerial papers. Red boxes are one modern form of despatch boxes, which have been in government use for centuries. Despatch boxes of a very different design remain in use in the chamber of the lower house of the British and Australian parliaments. Those boxes hold religious books for swearing-in new members of the chamber, but are also used as lecterns by front bench members.
Ministerial boxes[edit]
According to HM Treasury:
Historical and famous red boxes[edit]
The boxes are used by ministers on a daily basis while in government and thus become an important memory of their time in office, with many opting to buy and keep their red boxes. Many boxes owned and used by famous political figures from British history have been sold at auction. Those boxes represent some of the most important possessions of former prime ministers.
Margaret Thatcher's ministerial dispatch box was sold at auction by Christie's in 2015 for £242,500.[2] Winston Churchill's red box (manufactured by Wickwar) was sold by Sotheby's in 2014 for £158,500, 25 times the estimated price.[3]
Red boxes are often gifted to the outgoing President of the United States as a symbol of the relationship between the US and UK governments. George W. Bush received one such box from Tony Blair.
-- Aha! So a red box is a container in which important government documents are kept.
By the way, the photos of Wallis Simpson show that she is no beauty -- certainly not someone for whom a king would abdicate the throne.
-- Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY)
Rene
I am stopped by the last two words, "red boxes". All I can infer is that red boxes are something one should be diligent with? Maybe the meaning of "red box" is something that has been explained previously in this book, so I looked up "red box" in the Index at the back of the book. But the section titled "Index" at the back of the book deals only with proper names, like Mary of Keck, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and USS _Tuscaloosa_. The chapter-by-chapter Source Notes are of no help either. Maybe an online search on "red box" or "red boxes" will shed some light...