Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, born on November 30, 1874, was an English statesman, was Great Britain's Prime Minister during the Second World War. One of the most important leaders in modern British and world history, he was a famous orator and strategist. He was also a writer, historian and a painter.
Winston Spencer-Churchill Family
Churchill married Clementine Hozier on September 12, 1908 at St. Margaret's, Westminster. He had five children: Diana; Randolph; Sarah, who co-starred with Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding; Marigold, who died in early childhood; and Mary, who has written a book about her parents. Churchill's son Randolph and his grandsons Nicholas Soames and Winston all followed him into Parliament. The daughters tended to marry politicians and support their careers.
Winston Churchill the Writer and Artist
When not in London's government business, Churchill usually lived at his beloved Chartwell House in Kent, two miles south of Westerham. He and his wife bought the house in 1922 and lived there until his death. There, he immensely enjoyed writing as well as painting, and admiring the estate's famous black swans.
As a painter he was prolific, with over 570 paintings and two sculptures; he received a Diploma from the Royal Academy, London. His paintings were catalogued after his death by historian David Coombs with the support of the Churchill family. Coombs has published two books on the subject.
Churchill the Author and Literary Man
In 1953, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his many books on English and world history. Sir Winston Churchill was voted the greatest-ever Briton in the 2002 BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
Published Works of Sir Winston Churchill
Churchill published historical books including The World Crisis 1916-18 (6 volumes), The Second World War (6 volumes), A history of the English-Speaking Peoples (4 volumes), and The River War. He also wrote some biographies including Lord Randolph Churchill. He also wrote several other books, including a novel, Savrola.
English Gentleman Churchill
Like many politicians of his age, Churchill was a member of several English gentlemen's clubs - the Reform Club and the National Liberal Club whilst he was a Liberal MP, and later the Athenaeum, Boodle's, Bucks, and the Carlton Club when he was a Conservative. Despite his multiple memberships, Churchill was not a habitual clubman. He spent time in each of these, and preferred to conduct any lunchtime or dinner meetings at the Savoy Grill or the Ritz, or else in the Members' Dining Room of the House of Commons when meeting other MPs.
Last Years of Sir Winston Churchill
Aware that he was slowing down physically and mentally, Churchill retired as Prime Minister in 1955 and was succeeded by Anthony Eden, who had long been his protégé. Churchill spent most of his retirement at Chartwell House in Kent.
In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy, acting under authorization granted by an Act of Congress, proclaimed Churchill the first Honorary Citizen of the United States.
Churchill suffered another stroke on January 15, 1965. He died nine days later, aged 90, on 24 January 1965. By the Queen's decree, his body lay in State in Westminster Hall for three days and a state funeral service was held at St Paul's Cathedral. This was the first state funeral for a non-royal family member since 1914, and no other of its kind has been held since.
The state funeral was the largest gathering of dignitaries in Britain as representatives from over 100 countries attended. At Churchill's request, he was buried in the family plot at St Martin's Church, Bladon, near his Blenheim birthplace. As the funeral took place on January 30, the U.S. marked it by paying tribute to his friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt because it was the anniversary of FDR's birth. The tributes were led by Roosevelt's children.
Baroness Margaret Thatcher, prominent former Prime Minister of Britain in recent years, has rightly reminded the world of another strong Churchillian leadership.
Here is one favourite quote from Churchill: "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Nobel Wisdom Quotes Book
Sources:
Clark, John, Editor. Illustrated Biographical Dictionary. London: Chancellor Press, 1996
McGovern, Una, Editor. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap, 2002
Ousby, Ian. The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge: CUP, 1993
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