Kriti Mehrotra
As a Malcolm Venville-directorial documentary series living up to its title in every way conceivable, ‘Churchill at War’ revisits the incredible career of arguably the most eminent English leader. This Netflix original comprises everything from his stint as a soldier cum journalist during World War I to his calm determination throughout World War II to his control of the entire narrative after. Therefore, of course, it incorporates not just archival audio-video footage as well as dramatizations but also exclusive interviews with those knowledgeable about the matter, including late UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s own granddaughter, Emma Soames.
Emma Soames Shared a Great Relationship With Her Grandfather
It was September 9, 1949, when Emma was born to British Conservative Politician Christopher Soames and Baroness Mary Soames (née Churchill) in London, unaware her family was far from ordinary. That’s because her paternal grandparents were closely blood-related to World Chief Guide Olave Baden-Powell, whereas her maternal grandparents were Winston and Clementine Churchill. She actually still remembers that she often spent a lot of time at the latter’s country house, Chartwell in Kent, while growing up, where the one place no one was allowed was her grandfather’s study.
Nevertheless, as per her accounts in the original production, one of her three brothers – she was the second born out of five, with her sister being fourth-born – did go running into it one day. According to her, her brother excitedly asked Winston Churchill, “Grandpapa, Grandpapa, is it true you’re the greatest living Englishman,” to which he half-jokingly replied, “Yes, now bugger off.” As if that’s not enough, it has often even been indicated that the former statesman was a devoted family figure, meaning he reportedly made as much time as possible for those he truly cared for.
Thus, Emma and her grandfather purportedly did share a great connection, too, and it was to such an extent she still vividly remembers his funeral despite being just 15 years old at the time. It was January 24, 1965, when he passed away at the age of 90 following months of illness and a few strokes, after which he was essentially given a state funeral organized by the Duke of Norfolk. However, by the time of his burial at St Martin’s Church in Bladon, where Baroness Mary Soames is also now buried (1922-2014), it was a private affair with the family vowing to keep his legacy alive.
Emma Soames Did Not Follow in Her Family’s Professional Footsteps
Although Emma’s maternal great-grandfather, maternal grandfather, father, and elder brother were all politicians, that’s not the path she chose to pursue for herself when the time came. Following her education from arguably three of the most renowned independent schools across England – Laverock School in Surrey, followed by Hamilton House School in Kent, and then finally Queen’s College in London (1965-1966) – she made her own way. The young woman actually decided to go to France, where she enrolled at the University of Paris (aka Sorbonne) before graduating from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (aka Sciences Po).
However, instead of going forward with a full-fledged career in this field, Emma almost immediately switched gears to establish herself as a brilliant literary as well as entertainment editor. In fact, she served as an Editor for Literary Review for a while before spreading her wings and landing the same position at the Condé Nast Publications magazine Tatler from 1988 to 1990. Then came her stint at ES Magazines, followed by 4 years at the Daily Telegraph, only for her to jump straight to Saga Media in 2002. She was an editor at Saga Magazine until 2008, and now she’s the Editor at Large for the entire organization, all the while being a sporadic Columnist, too.
Emma Soames is a Family Woman in Her Own Right
As of writing, Emma Soames continues to serve as a professional editor, commentator, and even writer from time to time, with her focus being on all kinds of pieces. As if that’s not enough, the role of the 75-year-old as an editor at Large also means she has the responsibility of finding as well as commissioning great stories for the monthly Saga Magazine, all the while carrying on her family’s name. It actually appears as if she has been featured in several productions and news reports over the years so as to portray the right image of her grandfather, along with the legacy he left behind. She even edited her mother’s personal diaries from around the time of World War II until it became ‘Mary Churchill’s War: The Wartime Diaries of Churchill’s Youngest Daughter’ (published in 2021).
Coming to Mary’s own personal standing, she was once married to a fellow journalist named James MacManus, but they couldn’t make their union work and ended up getting divorced in 1989. This was eight years after they had blissfully tied the knot surrounded by all their lobed oned on July 4, 1981, and when their one and only daughter Emily Fiona MacManus was merely 6 years old. However, from what we can tell, they remained on very amicable terms, and they now seemingly have a great relationship with not just Emily (now Emily Nicholson) but also her partner as well as their grandchildren.
Read More: Clementine Hozier Churchill: How Did Winston Churchill’s Wife Die?
