The Top 10: Rulers Who, As Children, Met Their Predecessors

Tom Holland, the historian, quoted Augustus (no 2), over that photo of Bill Clinton (no 10), on Twitter, and Allan Holloway suggested it could make a good Top 10. With a flexible interpretation, and with thanks to all, here, in chronological order, we go.

1. Philip II of Macedonia as a teenager was a hostage and pupil of Epaminondas, hegemon of Greece in 4th century BC. Thanks to Mark Taylor.

2. Galba, Roman emperor AD68-69, as a boy had his cheek pinched by Emperor Augustus (27BC to AD14), who said: “You too, my child, will have a little nibble on this power of mine.”

3. Maximilien Robespierre was selected to deliver the official address in Latin verse to welcome Louis XVI when he and Marie Antoinette visited his school in 1775. Excellent nomination from Middleoftheroad.

4. Beethoven, aged 17, applied to be Mozart’s pupil in 1787. Visiting Mozart’s home, he played one of his own compositions, and Mozart is supposed to have told his wife: “Watch out for that boy. One day he will give the world something to talk about.” But Beethoven had to return to Bonn where his mother was ill, and Mozart died five years later. Nominated by Max Calo.

5. Lord Palmerston (prime minister 1859-65) was taken, aged 14, by his father to the House of Commons in 1799, where he shook hands with William Pitt (the Younger), the prime minister 1783-1801. Thanks to Chris Dillow. Palmerston was also an unsuccessful candidate to succeed Pitt as MP for Cambridge University in the by-election caused by his death in February 1806, added Allan Holloway.

6. Theodore Roosevelt (US president 1901-09) aged six watched Abraham Lincoln’s funeral from his grandfather’s mansion in Union Square, New York, 1865. There is a photo of him at the window. Nominated by BurnMarks1962 and Richard Morris.

7. Harold Wilson, aged eight, was photographed in front of the door of 10 Downing Street in 1924, although he didn’t get to meet Ramsay MacDonald, the prime minister. Wilson’s father Herbert was deputy agent for Winston Churchill in a by-election in 1908, Daniel Forman pointed out, although that was before Harold was born. Herbert’s older brother Jack was Keir Hardie’s election agent in 1895 when Hardie lost his West Ham South seat, and in 1900 when he won Merthyr Tydfil, said Mr Memory, who added that another uncle (Harold’s mother’s brother), Harold Seddon, was a politician in Australia, who ended up as president of the Legislative Council of Western Australia.

8. Margaret Thatcher, then Margaret Roberts, met Winston Churchill in 1950. She introduced him at a Young Conservatives rally when she was 24, but I am prepared to stretch the rules. This is the only attested meeting between them, according to Charles Moore’s biography, despite the fact that they overlapped as MPs by five years (1959-64). Churchill rarely attended the Commons and did not socialise with other MPs when he did. He never spoke in the House after leaving office as prime minister in April 1955. Thanks to Allan Holloway.

9. William Hague spoke at the 1977 Tory party conference, aged 16, watched admiringly by Mrs Thatcher from the platform; he and she then toured the conference hall together. This is stretching the point still further, as Hague was only ever ruler of the Conservative Party, but nominations from Paul Mitchell and Calum were accepted.

10. Bill Clinton, aged 16, shook hands with John F Kennedy in 1963. Visiting the White House as part of the Boys Nation programme, Clinton pushed to the front to greet the president after a short speech. He spent the bus ride back to the dorms talking about the event, saying: “Someday, I’m going to have that job.” There’s a video here.

I excluded hereditary monarchs, and also presidents and prime ministers who were related to each other, such as John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams, and Lord Salisbury and his nephew Arthur Balfour.

Paul Mitchell nominated Anakin Skywalker, who was Obi Wan Kenobi’s apprentice. Yes but no. And someone called Seldom Wright claims to have met Tony Blair, and said: “Still waiting…”

Next week: Works of fiction named after a character who isn’t the main one, such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Coming soon: Interesting hobbies of famous people, such as Harper Lee, who collected memoirs of 19th-century clergymen.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk