The City presented its first honorary freedom to William Pitt the Elder in 1757.

BBC: City limits - how free is a freeman?

William Pitt the Younger, however, discovered the downside of discounted bonds when he tried to reduce the national debt during the lull between the American war and the Napoleonic wars.

ECONOMIST: What did early 19th-century literary characters live on?

William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), upon entering Parliament in 1780 at the age of twenty-one, resolved, with the aid of his friend William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch), soon to be Prime Minister at the age of twenty-four, to end the slave trade in the British Empire.

NEWYORKER: Amazing Grace

Fortunately for the British, his Anglophilia survived the rebuff he received as a young man when his admiration for William Pitt the Elder had led him to knock on the door of Pitt's house in London, by then the home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

ECONOMIST: Caspar Weinberger

Funnell, Jeanette Brakewell on Over To You, Leslie Law on Shear L'Eau and William Fox-Pitt on Moon Man.

BBC: Confident Funnell heads for Punchestown

William Fox-Pitt, seeking a record fifth win, is third on Tamarillo.

BBC: Edge ahead in Burghley dressage

But many of the sport's leading lights, such as Mary King and William Fox-Pitt, will have chances to overtake her when the dressage resumes on Saturday.

BBC: Laura Collett takes Badminton Horse Trials by storm

But William Fox-Pitt and his horse Tamarillo are not afraid of a challenge and attacked the fixed rails, yawning ditches and steep banks with gusto and won.

BBC: SPORT | Olympics 2004 | Equestrian | Road to Athens: William Fox-Pitt

Among other British names, Mary King and Imperial Cavalier are seventh while world number one William Fox-Pitt is back in 13th and 17th aboard Navigator and Cool Mountain respectively.

BBC: Badminton Horse Trials: Mark Todd promoted to lead