No 10 Visitors Books released to the National Archives

Signatories include the late Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela and Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives (Ben Whitley/PA)

Together they must constitute one of the most remarkable collections of autographs assembled in the UK in recent times.

For more than three decades, VIP visitors to No 10 Downing Street would solemnly sign their names in the Visitors Book.

Now three gilt-edged volumes, covering the years 1970, when Edward Heath was prime minister, to 2003 when Tony Blair was in office, have been released to the National Archives at Kew, west London.

Over that time, princes and potentates, presidents and prime ministers, heroes – and some decided villains – all left their mark for posterity.

When the late Queen visited she would sign herself Elizabeth R, while the present King and his then wife were simply Charles and Diana.

The signature of Queen Elizabeth II is seen in one of three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives — The signature of Queen Elizabeth II in one of the Downing Street Visitors Books (Ben Whitley/PA)

The signatures of then-Prince of Wales, now King, and his then wife Diana, Princess of Wales, when they visited 10 Downing Street on November 20 1989 are seen in one of three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives — The signatures of then-Prince of Wales, now King, and his then wife Diana, Princess of Wales, when they visited 10 Downing Street on November 20 1989 (Ben Whitley/PA)

The illustrious list of names includes successive US presidents from Jimmy Carter through Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior and Bill Clinton to George Bush junior.

At the end of his visit in 1989, the elder Mr Bush wrote: “With respect, friendship, and gratitude for this relationship that means so much” to which his wife, Barbara, added: “Me too.”

The signatures of US President George Bush and his wife Barbara are seen in one of three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives — The signatures of US President George Bush and his wife Barbara (Ben Whitley/PA)

In 1996 South Africa’s president Nelson Mandela noted “Visiting Downing St, No 10, is always an unforgettable experience” while Czech president Vaclav Havel added a heart sign under his name.

The signature of Nelson Mandela is seen in one of three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives — The signature of Nelson Mandela in one of the three Downing Street Visitors Books (Ben Whitley/PA)

Two particularly remarkable pages commemorate the 250th anniversary of No 10 in 1985.

The first is signed by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who signed himself Philip.

The facing page is then signed by all five surviving former prime ministers, Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and James Callaghan, as well as the then incumbent Margaret Thatcher.

The pages marking the 250th anniversary of Downing Street with signatures of the Queen, Prince Philip, the Wilsons, The Humes, the Callaghans, Edward Heath, the Earl of Stockton, and Margaret and Denis Thatcher are seen in one of three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives — The pages marking the 250th anniversary of Downing Street with signatures of the Queen, Prince Philip, the Wilsons, the Humes, the Callaghans, Edward Heath, the Earl of Stockton, and Margaret and Denis Thatcher (Ben Whitley/PA)

Other notable visitors over the years included Sir Winston Churchill’s widow, Clementine, the Second World War commander Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

Among those no doubt less fondly remembered are the notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe.

The existence of the books came to light earlier this year when one was offered for sale at auction.

According to the auctioneers, Chiswick Auctions, the seller was a retired civil servant who found it after he was given permission to remove water-damaged boxes marked for incineration following a flood in Whitehall.

The signatures of the Churchill family are seen in one of three Downing Street Visitors Books at the National Archives (Ben Whitley/PA)

It had been expected to raise around £15,000 but the sale was suspended after the Cabinet Office claimed it was government property under the Public Records Act 1958.

The Cabinet Office declined a request for comment on the decision now to release all three books to the National Archives.