Behind every great man is a great woman
From the infl uence she wielded to the secrets she kept, a new book looks at the extraordinary role of Winston Churchill’s wife Clementine who proved that...
THE burden laid on Clementine Churchill was devastating, both personally and for the nation. Lord Moran, the Prime Minister’s doctor, had sought guidance from her after diagnosing that Winston’s heart condition was deteriorating.
The leader of the free world could suffer a fatal coronary thrombosis at any time – and long- distance fl ying would make it more likely and more severe. In the darkness of January 1943, with victory in the Second World War still uncertain, Churchill’s devoted wife decided to keep the death sentence from him so he could focus all his efforts on securing victory against the Nazis.
But for Clementine, who had always hated her beloved husband fl ying, the hundreds of hours he spent in the air to meet generals on the ground or world leaders including President Roosevelt and Stalin in Europe, America, the Middle East or Africa were full of anguish.
She knew it was best for the country and she courageously kept the awful truth to herself.
In September 1908, Clementine Hozier, the granddaughter of an earl, had been thrown into the limelight after marrying Churchill, a decade older than her and already a seasoned and outspoken MP. It was the start of 70 years in the public eye during which Clemmie, as she was known to her doting husband, would sacrifi ce everything to further his career.
While Winston’s role in standing fi rm against Hitler in the darkest hours of the war has been rightly lauded, relatively little has been said about the great woman standing behind our greatest leader.
Despite both having what at fi rst impression were well- to- do backgrounds, what may have drawn them together was their shared insecurity. Largely unloved as children, with parents cold and withdrawn even by Victorian standards, the couple found strength in each other even when outsiders doubted the marriage could last.
GIVING Winston confi dence, courage and conviction was a key element of her support. The safety and security that Clementine provided – as an emotional blanket and political sounding board – was vital in allowing Churchill to be the dominant politician of his age.
And there is little doubt that at times the domineering, selfabsorbed leader was a handful to cope with: petulant, moody, prone to “Black Dog” depressions and, particularly when not in power, exceedingly grumpy. While Winston took exception to others disagreeing with him and usually browbeat them into submission, Clementine was never afraid and would argue her case with skill and conviction.
Often opening with “If I were doing it…” Clementine became persuasive and insightful, but always with both eyes on his political fortunes. Whether it was shoring up his opinions, stopping him from making political blunders in the Commons or bringing the views of the common people to bear on him, Mrs Churchill was almost the only person who could change Churchill’s mind.
And a succession of politicians and generals during Churchill’s time as a cabinet minister and then as prime minister came to her if he needed gentle persuasion. When Churchill declared he wanted to go out on HMS Belfast to watch D- Day fi rst hand, King George VI himself worked with Clemmie to stop his scheme. If the couple argued or Clementine felt the need to escape the pressure pot of political life for a few days, it was always Winston who sued for peace, often in one of the hundreds of letters they sent to each other. In one 1944 letter he tells her: “My darling one, I have been fretting over our interchange… forgive me for anything that seemed disrespectful to you.”
Her infl uence as de facto First Lady grew, particularly with Churchill’s fondness for dinnertable diplomacy. Good food and Clementine’s ability to make even the famous feel at home, whether it was at one of their London residences, Chequers or the family’s country home at Chartwell in Kent, meant there was always a stream of visitors to the Churchills.
Prime ministers past, present or future enjoyed their largesse including Chamberlain, Lloyd George, Asquith, Attlee, Eden, Macmillan and Heath, but the social scene went much further. Leading lights in other fi elds such as Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, Laurence Olivier and Lawrence of Arabia came to dine.
The Churchills may not have agreed with some who visited, such as Sinn Fein’s Michael Collins at the height of the Irish Troubles in the 1920s, but through Clemmie’s moderation they knew that they had to do business with everyone.
However, she was not afraid to give both barrels to guests who overstepped the mark. When, after the Royal Navy had sunk the French fl eet to stop it falling into German hands, French leader General Charles de Gaulle caustically said over lunch his remaining ships would like to turn their guns on the British, Clementine, to the surprise of everyone at the table, upbraided De Gaulle in stately French that his sentiments were ill- suited to an ally, let alone a guest. As the need for America’s support in the war became increasingly obvious, the couple launched what might be dubbed Operation Seduce USA. Anyone with the potential to infl uence President Roosevelt and put forward the case for joining the Allies was wined and dined.
Hard- bitten cynic Harry Hopkins, who was sent on a fact- fi nding mission by the president, was treated to the ultimate countryhouse weekend during a trip that Clementine ran with almost military effi ciency. Having originally been dubious about helping Britain, he reported back to Roosevelt that “the people here are amazing from Churchill down”. But the “most charming and entertaining of all” was Mrs Churchill.
HER commitment to Winston’s career remained steadfast, from joining him on the hustings at more than 30 elections ( often giving speeches and meeting voters herself) to working with him on his lisp and fi ne- tuning many of his speeches. And in a crisis, no one was as good as Clementine.
In 1909, a suffragette had attacked Winston on a station platform in Bristol, lashing him with a dog whip and pushing him towards a moving train. Quick as a fl ash, Clementine had leapt over luggage to drag her husband by his coat tails from certain death.
It was a quality that came to the fore in wartime, whether it was keeping up Winston’s spirits after the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War, joining him in the Downing Street bunker on D- Day in her nightdress, visiting bomb sites during the Blitz to raise morale or her charity work, including raising millions for Russian soldiers on the Eastern Front .
She helped Churchill remain an MP until 1964. He died less than a year later of a stroke. Clemmie was made a Baroness, but the political purpose of her life had gone.
She died in 1977 aged 92, and at a memorial service for her an extract from the sermon at her wedding was recited. It read: “There must be in the statesman’s life many times when he depends on the love, the insight, the penetrating sympathy and devotion of his wife.”
Churchill’s chief of staff, General Pug Ismay said later: “Without her… the history of Winston Churchill and of the world would have been a very different story.”
To order First Lady: The Life And Wars Of Clementine Churchill by Sonia Purnell ( Aurum Press Ltd £ 25.00), call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310, send a cheque payable to The Express Bookshop, to Clementine Offer, PO Box 200, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4WJ or order online at expressbookshop. com. UK delivery is free.