The enduring legacy of Churchill 60 years after his death – and why Trump sees him as an icon to emulate
Sir Winston Churchill died 60 years ago this week on 24 January 1965. His funeral took place on 30 January, following three days lying in state in the Palace of Westminster.
It was the only occasion since the Second World War when a full state funeral was held for someone who was not a member of the Royal Family.
Churchill was venerated then as the prime minister who had led Great Britain to victory over Hitler and the Nazis. He has repeatedly topped surveys asking for the “Greatest Briton” since.
In 1965, many people who had lived through the war were still alive. The Royal Mint struck a ‘Churchill Crown’, with a nominal value of five shillings, to mark his life and death. Such commemorative issues were a rarity in the 1960s.
The funeral itself was an exceptional and grand event, involving thousands of troops from all branches of the armed services. It had been planned for at least 12 years, with its ailing subject taking an active interest.
Its sombre splendour cemented Britain’s reputation for ceremonial spectacle but afterwards, French President General Charles de Gaulle, who Churchill had grudgingly allowed to be invited, commented: “Now Britain is no longer a great power.”
As remarkable as the national and international reaction at the time of his death, is the phenomenon that Sir Winston Churchill endures as an iconic figure, more than half a century later.
Churchill endures as an iconic figure. Pic AP
Yet another drama depicting Churchill is opening on stage in London. This time Roger Allam, Inspector Thursday in the Endeavour TV series, is playing the great man in Churchill in Moscow, following in the footsteps of other stars including Brian Cox, Albert Finney, Timothy Spall, Timothy West, Robert Hardy and Richard Burton.
Bust returned twice
Meanwhile, with the inauguration of a new US president, the location of a bust of Sir Winston has once again become a hot topic, in Britain’s right-wing media outlets at least.
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Donald Trump has re-instated the bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein in a prominent position in the Oval Office. It was originally a loan from the British Embassy to President George W Bush. Both Trump’s immediate presidential predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, had it moved elsewhere in the White House. Trump has now put it back twice.
Obama put a bust of Martin Luther King Junior in pride of place. Joe Biden favoured the Irish-American Bobby Kennedy. RFK senior that is, not his son RFK junior, the Kennedy family renegade now nominated as Trump’s health secretary.
There has long been another identical copy of the Epstein bust in the presidential private quarters – a gift to Lyndon Johnson in 1965.
Trump proudly showed the Churchill bust to then-PM Theresa May in 2017. Pic: AP
Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames, a former Conservative MP who is now in the House of Lords, is unimpressed by all the fuss. He points out: “It’s loaned. I promise you, it’s not a sign of the strength or otherwise of the special relationship, whether or not Churchill’s head is in the White House.”
Trump’s admiration for Churchill is more personal than anglophile. His glaring official photo portrait for this year’s inauguration is almost a pastiche of Churchill’s frequent “we shall never surrender” poses, just as some Trump posts on social media garble some of Churchill’s most famous quotations. The Darkest Hour, featuring Gary Oldman as Churchill, is one of the films Trump has identified as his favourite movie.
Leader comparisons
The president’s closest allies like to draw comparisons between the two men. In 2020, when Trump muscled his way to St John’s Church opposite the White House for a photo-op after it had been damaged by a firebomb, his official spokesman said it was “a message of resilience and determination, like Churchill inspecting the bombing damage”, presumably of the Blitz.
Trump’s controversial photo-op outside St John’s – often called the Church of the Presidents. Pic: AP
After visiting his father following this summer’s deadly assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Trump’s son Eric likened him to Churchill due to his “lack of political correctness”.
Trump is not the only US president to emulate Churchill. Both Eisenhower and George W Bush tried their hand at painting, inspired in part by Churchill’s skill with the brush.
Trump is a great admirer of pageantry and may be disappointed that, at 24.6 million, the TV audience for his second inauguration did not match either Joe Biden’s or Barack Obama’s first.
Part of the explanation may be increasing fragmentation of audiences by new media represented by the tech billionaires, who were invited to attend the ceremony in person by Trump.
In 1965 a similar number, 25 million, watched Churchill’s funeral in the UK, an overwhelming mass audience in a much smaller country than the US. There were only two TV channels then and the ceremony was broadcast live by both the BBC and ITV.
The naval party drawing the gun carriage bearing Sir Winston Churchill’s coffin during the funeral procession. Pic: AP
On the BBC, it was the last state occasion anchored by Richard Dimbleby, the patriarch of the Dimbleby broadcasting family. There were large TV audiences in the US as well. The funeral was not shown live on RTE in Ireland. Neither the Irish president nor prime minister attended the ceremony.
I was a small boy then and remember the coverage as one of the two great highlights of the black and white television era. The other was England’s World Cup victory in 1966. Extended outside broadcast from multiple locations were a rarity. Both the funeral and the cup final took place during the day on a Saturday – a time when, back then, there was usually nothing to watch on TV sets.
Rare honour of state funeral
The funeral was a television spectacular involving foot soldiers and cavalry, RAF fly-bys and travel by boat, train, manpower and hearse. The ceremonies had been in planning since Churchill had his first major stroke in 1953.
He was serving his second term as prime minister and the poor state of his health was covered up from the public, even though he was left partially paralysed. Officials in the know, working for the royals and at Westminster, set to work to prepare Operation Hope Not.
Crowds lined the street to pay their respects. Pic: AP
Putting the plan into action required a message from the Queen to parliament and a motion in parliament the day after Churchill died to authorise a state funeral.
Full state funerals are usually reserved for heads of state. The late Queen Mother, Princess Diana, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher were all given ceremonial funerals in recent years – but none of these were state funeral in terms of scale or international protocol. Britain’s next state funeral was for Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Churchill’s embalmed body lay in state round the clock in Westminster Hall for three days. More than 300,000 people filed past to pay their respects. Then the funeral began when Big Ben struck 9.45am. The bell was silenced for the day after that but there was a 90-gun salute in Hyde Park, a volley for each year of Churchill’s life.
Sir Winston’s coffin lay in state before his funeral, Churchill at Westminster Hall, as Elizabeth II’s would decades later
As soldiers and spectators lined the streets of London, Churchill’s coffin was placed on a gun carriage and pulled by 98 sailors from the Royal Navy all the way to St Paul’s Cathedral. It was carried inside with honorary pallbearers including three other British prime ministers and an Australian one. Clement Attlee, aged 82, stumbled on the steps and was given a chair to rest on.
Queen broke with protocol
After the service, the catafalque was drawn to the pier by Tower Bridge and taken upriver to Waterloo Station. Dockside cranes dipped as the boat passed. There is some dispute as to how voluntary this gesture by dockers really was. Even though his final journey was by locomotive down the Great Western Railway, Churchill insisted on going via Waterloo rather than Paddington station to make a point about British historical glory.
He was buried at St Martin’s Church, Bladon, on the Blenheim estate, seat of the Duke of Marlborough, a cousin, alongside his parents and other members of the Spencer Churchill family.
Churchill was the first prime minister of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Throughout the funeral day she broke with protocol to give him precedence. She hosted a reception for the dignitaries in attendance including the nine monarchs, 15 presidents and 14 serving prime ministers.
It is perhaps just as well that Donald Trump will not be around to see if his final obsequies beat that.
Les Miserables, what else.
The hit musical about anti-government protest is now showing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Donald Trump was in the audience for Wednesday’s performance for what amounts to a busman’s holiday.
The narrative explores issues of social justice, love, and the enduring power of human compassion amidst a backdrop of poverty and revolution. Not everyone shares the president’s vision of those themes.
Indeed his presence drew what can only be described as mixed reviews from his fellow theatre goers – cheers and boos in equal measure as he waved from the front row of the circle.
The script of Les Miserables barely presents a break from the day job – Trump won’t be the only one getting a sense of art imitating life, as the real thing plays out on the streets of LA.
It is the first show the president has chosen to attend since he made sweeping changes at the iconic venue, prompting an outcry and accusations that he was politicising art and ‘MAGAfying’ the venerated institution.
According to CNN, a number of Les Miserables cast members had planned to sit out the performance in protest.
The Kennedy Center is a prestigious venue that showcases the best of American performance art.
More than 2,000 shows per year include the famous honours ceremony, an annual event that celebrates artists who have made a significant contribution to US culture.
Honourees through the years have included Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead and Francis Ford Coppola.
The Kennedy Center in Washington DC
Following his election in November, Trump made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board and replaced members with political loyalists.
Traditionally, the board has been made up of individuals from across the political spectrum; after his election, Trump got rid of 18 members and replaced them with political soulmates, including his chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox presenters Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo.
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Donald Trump signalled a change in artistic direction at the Kennedy Center when he wrote on social media of “Drag shows specifically targeting our youth”, and said of its production schedule: “We didn’t like what they were showing, we’re going to make sure it’s good and it’s not going to be woke.”
His changes prompted a number of acts to cancel shows at the venue in protest. The touring production of Broadway hit Hamilton cancelled dates, as did actor and producer Issa Rae, writer Louise Penny and Pulitzer Prize-winning folk musician Rhiannon Giddens.
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Trump’s attendance at the Les Mis performance was designed to boost fundraising, with donors paying up to $2m to attend a reception with the president.
Ticket sales and subscriptions have, reportedly, slumped since Trump’s changes although the centre’s management points out its campaign to renew subscriptions has been launched later this year than last.
Trump watched the performance of Les Miserables from the presidential box, in the company of his wife, Melania.
Vice president JD Vance was also there. When he attended a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra in March with his wife, he was booed by members of the audience.
For the first time in more than 30 years, tanks will roll through the capital of the United States.
The 250th anniversary of the United States Army could see hundreds of thousands descend on Washington DC to watch as 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rumble along the streets.
But, like almost everything Donald Trump is involved in, it has not come without controversy or criticism.
It wasn’t originally planned as a birthday celebration – the event had been in the works since before Trump was elected – but earlier this year the President announced his intention to add a massive military parade to the event, which would coincide with his own 79th birthday.
Speaking earlier this week, Trump said it is going to be a “big day”, adding: “We want to show off a little bit.”
Officials have estimated around 200,000 people could turn out, including protesters, plus 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft.
More than 1,500 ‘No Kings’ demonstrations have also been planned across the US, but the group has said it will not be holding events in Washington DC, in part to avoid a direct confrontation.
It comes as the president warned that any protesters who rain on his military parade “will be met with very big force”.
Does the US typical hold military parades?
Unlike other countries, military parades in the United States are fairly rare, but Trump has made no secret of his desire for one.
The last time such a major display took place in the US it was in 1991, when tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait.
Troops march over the Memorial Bridge in Washington DC, as they head towards the Pentagon during the National Victory Day Parade in 1991. Pic: PA
During Trump’s first administration, he ordered the Pentagon to look into holding a display after a visit to France in 2017.
He was seemingly inspired after witnessing the country’s Bastille Day parade, and attempted to plan a Veteran’s Day parade for 2018. However, this was cancelled due to “ridiculously high” cost estimates.
Trump ultimately settled for a display of tanks and other armoured vehicles during a fourth of July celebration, named Salute to America, two years later.
Tanks parade past President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in 2017. Pic: AP
What is happening on the day?
Saturday will start with a wreath-laying ceremony in the morning at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by an army birthday festival on the National Mall in DC. The festival will include equipment displays and military demonstrations.
The day will conclude with a military parade throughout the city, overseen by Trump.
After the parade, the US Army Golden Knights team will parachute in and present the president with a flag.
How much will it cost?
All the celebrations will cost the US Army between $25 million (£18.51m) and $45 million (£33.33m), officials told Reuters.
Preparations are underway in Washington DC for the celebrations. Pic: AP
These estimates include costs that will be born by the city of Washington, include litter clean up. The event will involve 18 miles of fencing and 175 metal detectors being installed in the capital.
The military has also begun taking steps to protect the streets from damage caused by heavy tanks, including laying down metal plates in some areas.
The Army said it will pay for any unexpected repairs if needed and has set aside several million dollars in case of damage.
Why is it controversial?
President Trump’s critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power, that is particularly wasteful as his administration seeks to slash federal spending.
Military vehicles are being transported to Washington DC ahead of this weekend’s parade. Pic: AP
The cost of the Army’s celebration is several million dollars more than it would have been without a parade, officials said.
Among the critics is California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with Trump since the outbreak of riots in LA.
“And we all know, this Saturday, he’s ordering our American heroes – the United States military – forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past,” he said.
Among the critics is California Governor Gavin Newsom. Pic: AP
“This is his ego and making everything about ‘him’,” Senator Jack Reed, the top democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also said.
But other officials have pointed out plans for the Army’s 250th birthday began before Trump won the presidential election, and it is not officially an event to mark his birthday – the dates just happen to be the same.
How will it compare to military parades around the world?
One of the criticisms of the parade is that it is a show of military might more often seen in authoritarian countries, such as North Korea, Russia, Iran and China.
This is because tanks in the streets are symbolically associated with these regimes, where they are designed to inspire nationalism and fear, whilst also promoting obedience – they often take place under the watchful eye of their country’s leader.
Russia holds its annual Victory Day parade on 9 May to commemorate the country’s Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. In recent years, it has been used to protect military strength during the Ukraine war.
Red Square during a military parade on Victory Day in 2025. Pic: Reuters
China holds a National Day parade on 1 October every ten years, or on key anniversaries, to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.
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In Iran, an Army Day Parade takes place in April, a month after the country’s Revolution Day celebrations.
North Korea’s 2023 military parade. Pic: AP
North Korea holds parades on key dates like Kim Il-sung’s birthday, or the ruling party’s foundation day. Taking place in the country’s capital of Pyongyang, the display will often feature new weapons, closely watched by leader Kim Jong-un.
But not every country that holds a military parade is necessarily authoritarian.
Pic: MoD
The UK holds its annual Trooping of the Colour every summer to celebrate the birthday of the British Monarch.
One word did the heavy lifting in Marco Rubio’s statement: unilateral.
The US secretary of state was keen to emphasise that strikes on Iran were Israel’s decision alone.
Israel-Iran latest: Iran retaliates after airstrikes
But that was not enough for Iran’s foreign minister, who claimed Israel could not have carried out the attack without support from America.
President Donald Trump had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran.
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Israeli PM announces strikes on Iran
The two leaders had what was described as a heated 40-minute exchange by telephone last Monday.
Speaking just hours before the attack, Trump said he feared such action would destroy US hopes of agreement with Iran.
Time and time again, the US president has insisted that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
But the Americans and Iranians have been engaged in negotiations for months as the US president sought a diplomatic solution. At one point, he even appeared to concede slightly on enrichment.
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‘They cannot have nuclear weapons’
But Israel claimed the weaponisation of enriched uranium posed “a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival”.
Netanyahu values his relationship with Trump, but the timing of this action was on Israel’s terms.
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Washington was informed in advance – the president’s national security team watched the strikes in real time in the situation room at the White House.
Afterwards, they said their number one priority was the safety of US personnel.
America had already restricted the movement of its staff in Israel and begun evacuating non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad.
Marco Rubio sent a clear warning: “Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
They don’t want to be dragged into this, but have stated that they will protect Israel, if necessary.
America didn’t choose this moment, but knows the threat this escalation poses for US staff in the region.
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