‘Regis’ translates from Latin to mean ‘of the king’ and across England there are only 19 towns whose names bear this suffix. Usually this royal patronage is a suggestion that The Crown has, at one time or another, owned much of the land in that area, however, this was not the case for Bognor. Instead it was a lengthy stay by King George V, the reigning monarch, in the late 1920’s that put Bognor on the map and saw its name given a regal extension.
Nestled on the south coast, beneath the South Downs National Park, Bognor enjoys a mild climate; this seaside town is one of the sunniest places to live in the UK and sees some of the longest daylight hours of anywhere in the country. It was, therefore, the perfect place for the ailing King’s physicians to prescribe a visit to. Following a serious illness, it was thought that the fresh sea air and sunshine on offer in Bognor would be just the tonic the King needed to recuperate and get back to full health.
King George V and his wife, Queen Mary stayed in Bognor for a total of 13 weeks between February and May 1929. They were given Craigweil House as lodgings - its substantial grounds offering them a high degree of seclusion. This large mansion house was located right on the beach and was owned at the time by Sir Arthur du Cros, a British Industrialist and politician. (Sadly, in 1938 Craigweil House was demolished following a fire and the land it occupied is now home to the Craigweil Private Estate.)
While they were here the royal couple were known to have frequented parts of Aldwick, Pagham and Bognor. They also enjoyed visits from many members of their family, including their granddaughter, Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) who was only a toddler at the time. She stayed with her grandparents for two weeks, during which time she was rumoured to have built many a sandcastle!
Once back in London and with his health restored, King George wanted to acknowledge his period of convalescence and his fondness for the town that had facilitated it. He bestowed upon Bognor the honour of its Regis suffix, and that is how the sunny seaside town came to be Bognor Regis as we know it today.
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Below are a couple of examples for properties currently on the market through our Bognor Regis office. Be sure to get in touch and add your details to our mailing list if you are looking for a new home in the area!
Coventry Close: End of terrace three bedroom house asking £330,000 - https://bit.ly/40oxkmW
Stirling Way: Detached four bedroom bungalow asking £550,000 - https://bit.ly/3Vn8AKC
Call: 01243 865511 or email bognor@gilbertandcleveland.co.uk