Churchill’s relationship with royalty in ‘King’s Speech’ at odds with history
By ANITuesday, January 18, 2011
LONDON - Claims have emerged that former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s relationship with George VI and the future Queen Mother had not been as cordial as portrayed in the movie ‘The King’s Speech’.
Until the outbreak of war Churchill had been an outcast, and him siding with King Edward when he insisted on marrying American divorcee Wallis Simpson, did not earn him any favours from the Royal Family either.
The Abdication Crisis left a lasting distaste for Churchill among the Royal Family, particularly in George’s wife Elizabeth, the Daily Express reported.
Far from Winston being at the new King’s side exchanging intimacies, as the film portrays, it took a minor miracle for him to earn their respect, and that was when he became Prime Minister.
Churchill almost missed the chance, as Lord Halifax, a widely respected peer, had been the stronger contender and the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s choice.
Halifax considered “doing a deal” with Hitler, which would have left Germany dominant in Europe while Britain retained its Empire, but at a meeting in Downing Street he declined to become Prime Minister.
So on the day Hitler began his invasion of France, George, who as a King had to choose a new Prime Minister, appointed Churchill.
Slowly the Royal Family discovered that Winston was not only a man of courage and resilience but also had an enduring admiration for the monarchy. (ANI)
