The Churchill Girls by Rachel Trethewey

Author:Rachel Trethewey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The History Press

The political climate had certainly changed when even one of the Churchill girls was considering not voting Conservative. For once, Diana was the rebel. Shortly before the end of the war, she briefly showed an interest in the Common Wealth Party, which advocated Common Ownership, Morality in Politics and ‘Vital Democracy’.6 Clementine even worried that her eldest daughter would join the Communists, but that was never Diana’s intention. She did, however, agree with some left-wing policies and thought the government was doing badly and should be defeated. When she voiced her opinions over dinner with her parents and her husband, Duncan turned pale and, to hide his bewilderment, concentrated on eating his pheasant.7 For the first time, Diana was showing signs that she would not just conform and be the acquiescent political wife and daughter. Always interested in political ideas, she was thinking for herself and not just passively taking the same line as the men in her family. Evidently, thousands of other people across the country were doing the same.

In July 1945, Winston was voted out of office when Labour won a landslide victory. As he sat in his siren suit in the Map Room at the Annexe watching the results come in, Winston realised a political tidal wave had swept the country.8 It was a devastating moment, which he handled with good grace.

After the result, Mary, Sarah and Diana joined their parents to commiserate. According to his daughters, his sense of humour never left him. When Clementine said, ‘Winston, this may be a blessing in disguise,’ Winston looked at her quizzically and replied, ‘Huh, it’s certainly very well disguised.’9 Afterwards, Sarah wrote to him:

Darling you were never more wonderful than last night […] You know your saying: ‘In war resolution – In peace goodwill – in Victory magnanimity, in defeat defiance’ – Well you taught me a great thing last night – In defeat – humour!10

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