John Betjeman was born and brought up in North London. He began writing poetry at school and continued at Oxford, where he made the acquaintance of the poets W.H. Auden and Louis MacNiece. He developed a strong interest in architecture and was a founder member of the Victorian Society in 1958. In 1960 he was awarded The Queen’s Medal for Poetry and in 1972 he was appointed Poet Laureate. Betjeman was already a well-known figure due to his regular appearances on television and this appointment ensured his poetry, written in a humorous and accessible style, reached a very wide audience.

Betjeman's collection A Nip in the air was published in 1974, two years after he had become poet laureate. The volume contains his Ballad of the investiture for the Prince of Wales.