Churchill As Husband

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31513, 30 October 1967, Page 2

Churchill As Husband

(ti.Z.T.A -Reuter—CoMripMJ LONDON, October 27. A new aspect of the life of Sir Winstone Churchill Churchill the lover—has been made public by his son, Randolph.

Much has been written about Churchill’s political life—and the second volume of the

Churchill biography, just published, adds more—blit it is apt to

be overlooked that he was also a husband and father, was married for 57 years and had five children, one of whom died in infancy.

This omission has been remedied, with candour. There is a delightful account of Churchill’s courtship, which was in keeping with the tradition that the course of true love never runs smoothly. He met Clementine Hosier when he was 30 and she 19. It was at a dance and Randolph Churchill recalls his mother’s account of that meeting: "Winston just stared. He never uttered one word and was very gauche—he

never asked for a dance and never asked me to have supper.” Later, In a letter to a friend, she wrote: "I have

heard a great deal about him —nothing but HL” She did not see him again until four years later, whan

she was asked to attend a dinner which otherwise would have numbered the superstitious 13. Love triumphed in 1908, when they were at a party at Blenheim Palace, the Churchill family home. They were walking together in the gar-

den and it started to rain, so they took shelter in an ornamental temple. It was there that Churchill proposed—and was accepted. The next morning he got up early to pick roses for her. They were married the same year. Churchill kept his love affair secret As Churchill busied himself with affairs of State, he and his wife were forced to spend much time apart They kept in touch by letters, many of which are Included In this book. In them Churchill called his wife “my pussycat", “my precious pussy” and “birdling.” When children started to arrive they were referred to by him as “P.K.” or “puppy kitten”—“Kiss the beautiful P.K for me,” “I missed seeing P.K. take her bath this morning.”