Plots against Wilson

There have been several alleged plots agains Harold Wilson, mostly involving the military and MI5, most plans boiled down to a military take over that would install Lord Mountbatten as prime minister supported by buisness figure

So what would have happened if such a coup was launched in 1974? (yes I know it's unlikely)
How do you think this would have changed Britain and the Cold War?
How plausible were these ideas in general?
 
The key word here being alleged. Its been an age since I last looked into it but whilst there may have been a few people leaking stories to the media IIRC the actual plotters were a disgruntled Security Service member or two grumbling into their pints and a business man that was both clueless and incredibly indiscrete. I generally chalk it up to people talking about how "Something really must be done..." but then effectively shrugging their shoulders and moving on to other things.


So what would have happened if such a coup was launched in 1974?
It all goes completely pear-shaped when the Queen appears on television and radio to denounce it and either orders all troops to return to barracks or actively support the government against any armed coup elements. The only way to get around that is to seize and hold her, which I can't really see Mountbatten going along with.
 
A mere resignation seems the most compelling scenario in any case, with a threat of military action expressed in some way, probably with limited public knowledge.
 
Japhy beat me to it.

Without giving away too much, the great What If Gordon Banks Had Played is also strongly influenced by the Wilson-coup mythos.
 
A mere resignation seems the most compelling scenario in any case, with a threat of military action expressed in some way, probably with limited public knowledge.

Actually, that'd be a really interesting scenario- imagine the impact on the UK if the full details of a "secret coup" get leaked thirty years or so later.
 
Actually, that'd be a really interesting scenario- imagine the impact on the UK if the full details of a "secret coup" get leaked thirty years or so later.

So in 1974 the army requests that Wilson resigns and the Labour government ends, he complies, and then 29 years later this is revealed at the same time another Labour government is planning the Iraq War
 
It all goes completely pear-shaped when the Queen appears on television and radio to denounce it and either orders all troops to return to barracks or actively support the government against any armed coup elements. The only way to get around that is to seize and hold her, which I can't really see Mountbatten going along with.

This is very much a reason Mountbatten himself would never go along with it in the first place. He had similar inclinations to Her Maj. IOTL, one of the more believable rumours is that he told Cecil King et al to 'fuck off' when they approached him for his support.
 
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