Tryst a twist in Churchill biography
It was probably his darkest hour.
Winston Churchill, the revered British prime minister who led his country to victory in World War II, was outed on Saturday as a cheating husband.
The Sunday Times of London reported that his gal pal was Doris Castlerosse, the “promiscuous” great-aunt of model and actress Cara Delevingne.
The startling news came from Churchill’s aide, John “Jock” Colville. Two years before he died in 1987, Colville recorded his memories for the Churchill archive, but no one listened to all of it — until now.
“He [Churchill] did one terrible thing,” Colville said.
“He was not highly sexed, and I don’t think he ever slipped up, except the once. He had a brief affair with Doris Castlerosse.”
He added that Churchill spent time with Castlerosse “at the house of a famous American actress in France, when he certainly had an affair.” The actress was Maxine Elliott.
Letters from Churchill to Castlerosse include one from 1933, when he wrote: “What fun we had at Maxine’s. I wonder shall we meet again next summer.”
The affair lasted from 1933 to 1937. The story does not say whether Churchill’s wife, Clementine, ever found out about the liaison.
“Churchill’s Secret Affair’’ will be shown next Sunday on British TV and feature three portraits Churchill painted of his lover, including one of her stretching out on a chaise longue.