International Leaders Attend Event at Chartwell: Home of Winston Churchill

Near the small town of Westerham, Kent, England is the former family estate of Sir Winston Churchill, the renowned Prime Minister and wartime leader of the United Kingdom. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted an excursion to Chartwell, a beautiful estate where Churchill and his wife Clementine raised their family.

Ambassadors and dignitaries from various countries assigned to the United Kingdom were treated to a personal tour by local National Trust experts who shared insights on the importance of family to Churchill and the house he renovated to support their family life.

“I knew Churchill was a great writer,” said Dominican Republic Representative, Cesar Olmos Corletto, “but I had no idea what a prolific painter he was. I learned so much from these guides and I am impressed that they are all volunteers and such experts in dates, experiences and the details of Churchill’s life. We have had a wonderful day.”

All the guests had the opportunity to visit the entirety of the home and the surrounding gardens, including the cottage where Churchill frequently painted, the walled garden that he helped lay bricks to build and the little house, Marycot, where Churchill’s daughter Mary loved to play.

Other experts were invited to share more history. Chris Wills, a Churchill Fellow, provided further personal details and stories about the life of Churchill as guests travelled by coach to the home. Wills quoted Queen Elizabeth II in tribute to Churchill saying, “The world is poorer by the loss of his many-sided genius while the survival of this country and the sister nations of the Commonwealth, in the face of the greatest danger that has ever threatened them, will be a permanent memorial to his leadership, his vision and indomitable courage.”

Lord Daniel Brennan, a Member of the House of Lords shared his insights about one of Churchill’s skills saying, “he’s probably the greatest of orators of the English language. Language has the capacity to influence others and Churchill commandeered that language so effectively. He had the ability to be caustic and witty at the same time and that gave him great influence.”

President Paul and Sister Mona Sinclair, Mission Leaders for the England London Mission of the Church said, “We have been impressed at the depth of sacrifice exhibited by Churchill and his family for the cause of freedom and unwavering dedication to principle. This left us feeling both gratitude for the example and inspiration to do better in our own areas of influence. It was even more meaningful to be able to share this experience with our honoured guests from around the world, in a collective way.”

The Deputy Head of Mission from Laos, Mr. Thavone Singharaj, commented that “seeing the office where Churchill worked and understanding his role as a leader was impressive. As a diplomat, I want to better understand his impact on the political process here in the UK.”

This unique event was one of several sponsored by the Church to continue to build relationships with leaders throughout the world. Churchill himself once said, “knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom.” On this beautiful day, many were given more knowledge about the life of this influential figure and his personal world, hoping to use that knowledge to enhance the wisdom needed in matters impacting us all.

The excursion was organised by the Church's International & Public Affairs office in London. Elder Robert F. Schwartz, Area Seventy for the Church, and his wife, Amy, participated in the day's events.