Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Churchill at War’ exploring England’s most eminent leader’s role across World Wars I and II, along with how he became who he was, we get a documentary series unlike any other. That’s because this original production incorporates not just archival audio-video footage and dramatizations but also exclusive interviews to really underscore Winston Churchill’s entire career. Therefore, of course, there was significant mention of his wife Clementine Ogilvy Hozier, too, especially as she was the mother of all five of his children and his loyal partner until he passed away.
Clementine Hozier Was Always a Part of High Society
Although born on May 17, 1965, as the second-born of four to Lady Blanche Ogilvy and Army Colonel turned Loyd’s Secretary Sir Henry Hozier, Clementine’s paternity is actually much debated. While she is legally considered Sir Henry’s daughter for all intents and purposes, many believe she might not be his owing to his apparent sterility as well as his wife’s many alleged infidelities. Nevertheless, even following her parents’ separation in the early 1890s, she and her siblings were able to enjoy the benefits of high society without issues, thanks to their overall public standing.
However, when Clementine was 14, the family moved to an English-dominated coastal community in France with their mother, where they were often surrounded by military men, writers, and painters. It was here that the teen also developed an infatuation with German-born painter Walter Sickert, unaware her happy life would soon turn upside down as her elder sister would develop typhoid fever. So she and her elder siblings were shipped off to their aunt in Scotland so as to allow Blanche to truly devote herself to her eldest — but alas, Kitty Ogilvy Hozier sadly died on March 5, 1900.
The family was understandably heartbroken, yet Clementine knew she had to put on a strong front for them as well as society, so she pursued her education before evolving into a suffragette. She was initially educated at home, but she gradually proved herself enough to be enrolled at the Edinburgh School before finding herself graduating from the Berkhamsted School for Girls and then the University of Paris, better known metonymically as Sorbonne. Little did anyone know that around this time, she was reportedly also secretly engaged to Army Colonel, barrister, and financier Sir Sidney Peel, who had fallen in love with her when she was 18.
Clementine and Winston Churchill’s Love Stood Against All Odds
While Clementine was allegedly engaged to Sir Sidney not once but twice in secret, their relationship didn’t pan out, and she ended up meeting then-Member of Parliament Winston Churchill in 1904. Their initial interaction was quite brief, yet the latter was struck by her beauty as well as captivating blue eyes, which led him to start a conversation with her again during a dinner party in 1908. The duo was actually seated side by side, and it was then that the statesman realized she was incredibly charming as well as intelligent — the fact she had political sense also appealed to him.
Therefore, following months of correspondence through letters and social interactions, Winston Churchill proposed to Clementine during a house party at Blenheim Palace on August 11, 1908. The couple then tied the knot in a cozy ceremony surrounded by all their loved ones at St. Margaret’s Chuch in Westminster Abbey on September 12, following which they settled down in London. It was there that they welcomed their five children: Diana Churchill (1909-1963), Randolph Churchill (1911-1968), Sarah Churchill (1914-1982), Marigold Churchill (1918-1921), and Mary Churchill (1922-2014).
According to reports, Clementine and Winston Churchill always appeared to be an idyllic couple with an idyllic family in public, in spite of losing some of their kids early, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, as per the aforementioned original, they were able to unwaveringly maintain this dynamic because they had a remarkable level of respect, trust, and understanding between them. The mother of five often challenged the later Prime Minister or his views, yet she did so behind closed doors before also offering her sound advice, which he then sometimes took into consideration.
Clementine Hozier Churchill Died in 1977
Despite the fact Clementine’s role during World War II and the years to follow was essentially just to support her husband, she always did so with a smile on her face, owing to the respect he gave her. After all, whenever he was unable, he reportedly sent his wife on state visits in his stead so as to ensure their national as well as international standing, all the while communicating everything to her. In other words, there were practically no secrets between the couple, which is what enabled them to have a happy marriage that lasted until Winston Churchill passed away at age 90 on January 24, 1965.
Thus, Clementine and Winston Churchill were married for over 56 years, as a result of which she was even given the title of Baroness Spencer-Churchill of Chartwell following his demise. According to records, she did come to the parliament in the later years of her life to fulfill her role and keep her husband’s legacy alive, but she didn’t participate much owing to her growing deafness. Then, upon outliving three of her children as well as her husband by nearly 13 years, the Baroness sadly passed away from a heart attack at her home at 7 Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, in central London, England. It was on December 12, 1977, and she was 92 at the time.
Read More: Emma Soames: Where is Winston Churchill’s Granddaughter Now?
