Carrington, pp 259-263 gives a fairly detailed account of how and why RK never became Poet-Laureate.
To summarise: Tennyson died in 1892. Gladstone was PM and could not see a poet of sufficient stature (and respectability) to fill the office. (Remember RK was then living in Vermont.)
When Salisbury took office in 1895, the question was again raised, and Arthur Balfour pressed RK's claims, though he was still in the USA. To quote Carrington "A discreet enquiry quickly revealed his antipathy ot any official recognition." (In the same way as he subsequently refused a KCB, a KCMG and the OM.)
Alfred Austin was appointed instead, and was, to put it mildly, and I hope tactfully, not regarded as a success.
The story was circulated that Queen Victoria vetoed his appointment because of his ballad on 'The Widow at Windsor' - again to quote Carrington "No evidence has been adduced for this story except a letter (which, judged by internal evidence, cannot be authentic) in an American library."
The evidence for RK's refusal came from Sir Ian Malcolm, who was one of Salisbury's junior secretaries in 1895/6, in a letter to Lord Baldwin in 1943.
As others have already recorded here, RK and Mark Twain did indeed meet on at least two occasions, and may have indulged in verbal horseplay, but there is no evidence whatsoever of its having reached Queen Victoria's ears if they did (she was dead by their second meeting, anyway). And in any case, RK's name was never submitted to the Queen, so no question of a veto ever arose.
Later, in 1913 (again, this is from Carrington) the Laureateship became vacant, and Asquith considered RK for the post, but decided not to offer it. Lady Violet Bonham Carter wrote to Lord Baldwin "The obvious choice was Rudyard Kipling. Bridges was the alternative choice in my father's mind. What weighed with him was the very reason you give - that Kipling was inspired and could not write to order ..." So Bridges got the job - tho' it is 99% certain that if RK had been offered it, he would have refused.
Carrington also has a footnote:
"We have it in the authority of Sir Harold Nicholson that, when Bridges died in 1930, King George V desired to offer the laureateship to Kipling. No evidence survives that the offer was made. If made it would certainly have been refused."
I hope this clears up the matter.
Alastair Wilson
