Winston Spencer-Churchill (born October 10, 1940), generally known as Winston Churchill,[1] is a retired British Conservative Party politician and the grandson of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
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Family
Churchill was born in London, the son of Randolph Churchill (the only son of Sir Winston Churchill) and his then wife Pamela (later to become famous as Pamela Churchill Harriman). He has been married twice. His first marriage, in July 1964, was to Mary ("Minnie") Caroline d'Erlanger, the daughter of banker Sir Gerard John Regis d'Erlanger. The couple had four children:
- Randolph Spencer Churchill (born 1965)
- Jennie Spencer Churchill (born 1966)
- Marina Spencer Churchill (born 1967)
- Jack Spencer Churchill (born 1975)
However the marriage ended in an acrimonious divorce in 1997 due to his extra-marital relationships, notably with Soraya Khashoggi, former wife of the arms-dealer Adnan Khashoggi. He married Luce Danielson, a Belgian-born jewellery maker, the same year. His mother's will, however, stipulated that he should share his inheritance with his first wife.
Political career
He was Member of Parliament for the Manchester constituency of Stretford from 1970 until the 1983 general election, when he transferred to the new Davyhulme constituency, which he represented until the seat was abolished for the 1997 general election. Although well-known due to his family history, he never achieved high office. His cousin Nicholas Soames is a serving Conservative Member of Parliament. In May 1993 he provoked a row by criticising the "relentless flow" of immigrants to Britain from the Indian subcontinent. He was publicly reprimanded by the then Home Secretary, Michael Howard. The Prime Minister, John Major, supported Howard's comments. He also was the subject of controversy in 1995 when he and his family sold a large archive of papers relating to his grandfather for £13.5m. This was funded by a grant from the newly established National Lottery. Private Eye noted this 'happy coincidence' solving his losses from Lloyd's.
Recent years
Since leaving Parliament, Churchill has been a sought after speaker on the lecture circuit and has written many articles in support of the Iraq War and the fight against Islamic terrorism. He has also edited a compilation of his grandfather's famous speeches entitled Never Give In. In 2007, he has acted as a spokesman for pressure group, the UK National Defence Association.
Notes
- ^ Churchill's legal surname is Spencer-Churchill (he was related to the Spencer family), but starting with his great-grandfather, Lord Randolph Churchill, his branch of the family used the name Churchill in its public life.
External links
- "My Grandfather Invented Iraq" by Winston Churchill, from Opinion Journal
- "Churchill on Islamic Fundamentalism"
- "Grandson gathers 'the best' of Winston Churchill's speeches in new book"
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ernest Arthur Davies |
Member of Parliament for Stretford 1970–1983 |
Succeeded by Tony Lloyd |
| Preceded by (new constituency) |
Member of Parliament for Davyhulme 1983–1997 |
Succeeded by (constituency abolished) |


