A new outdoor photography exhibition detailing the relationship between Sir Winston Churchill and the monarchs he served is being held at the former British Prime Minister's family home.
Chartwell is a National Trust property located in Kent, United Kingdom and was formerly home to Churchill. As this year marks Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, the Trust has curated the exhibition documenting the lives and relationship between the young Queen and Churchill.
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Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952 during Churchill’s second term as Prime Minister. She was just 26 when her father, King George VI died and was crowned Queen at a service in Westminster on 02 June 1953.
Throughout the early years of her reign, one of Elizabeth's most trusted advisors was Churchill – and it was no secret that the pair shared a strong bond. They first met when the Queen was just an infant and, during his years at Chartwell, Churchill kept a picture of the monarch from her coronation day hanging on the wall, cementing how much she meant to him.
In a famous broadcast ahead of her coronation, Churchill referred to the Queen as, “a Lady whom we respect because she is our Queen and a lady whom we love because she is herself”.
Elizabeth's affections for Churchill were confirmed years later, when she was asked which Prime Minister she enjoyed meeting with the most. Her answer was, “Winston of course because it was always such fun”. Even a member of the Queen's household recalls hearing laughter between them whenever they met.
Property curator Katherine Charter explains, “We wanted to show the breadth and depth of the relationship between HM The Queen and her first Prime Minister. From Churchill's warm friendship with her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, through to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and the earliest years of her reign and even some heartwarming moments of Churchill meeting the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne”.
The Churchill and the Crown exhibition will take place in the gardens at Chartwell from 15 January to 27 February 2022, and is free to view with normal admission.
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