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The 100 Greatest Britons was a television series broadcast by the BBC in 2002. It used a public poll to identify the greatest Britons across history. With the final tabulation of results, the winner of that poll, and the man declared The Greatest Briton by the BBC, was Sir Winston Churchill.
Recently, we wished to determine if today’s British public held the same opinion. Does Churchill still retain his place at the top of this list? Or have things changed in the minds of the British public over the last twenty years?
The London Mint Office conducted its own survey of nearly 40,000 people to answer this question.
What do YOU think of the results?
Yes, Sir Winston Churchill once again topped the poll results. In fact, his total percentage of the votes was actually higher in our updated 2024 poll than in the original 2002 polling. In the BBC poll, Churchill garnered 28% of the total votes cast. In our much smaller sampling, Sir Winston walked away with over 37% of all votes cast.
Especially in a year marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, it seems that Churchill’s stature as our greatest wartime leader helped to keep him at the top of the hearts and minds of the majority of poll responders.
At the time of the original 2002 poll, British Labour Party politician, Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam, stated, "He was the greatest Briton because he showed the determination and courage to protect Britain from invasion and without his inspiring leadership the outcome of World War II may have been very different. He was the choice of the people."
Based on our latest poll, that choice seems to have been soundly validated.
A Beloved Queen Elevated
While the public has confirmed Sir Winston Churchill’s claim to the title The Greatest Briton, perhaps the most fascinating story has to do with his runner-up, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
At the time of the 2002 BBC poll, Queen Elizabeth II was 76 years old and had reigned for an impressive 50 years on the throne. Yet surprisingly, she placed only 8th in the BBC Greatest Briton poll, with only 4% of the total votes cast.
With her passing in 2022, at the age of 96 after setting the record for the longest-reigning monarch in British history (70 years), there has been a groundswell of emotion, devotion, and appreciation on the part of the public for the quiet but steady hand she employed to rule over her people.
It’s fascinating, then, to reflect on the fact that she made the major leap to second in our updated poll – and she commanded 28% of the total votes, which ironically is the exact same percentage that Churchill received in the original BBC poll!
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Each of the historical figures who factored in both the 2002 and 2024 Greatest Briton polls has fascinating stories to tell. Their individual trials, triumphs, achievements, and legacies continue to inspire us all to this day.
Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, Diana, and Admiral Nelson are among the hundreds of historic British figures whose legacy lives on today in coinage and currency. To learn more about these and other fascinating heritage and commemorative issues, visit: https://www.londonmintoffice.org/themed-commemoratives
