Inside Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill's Enduring Friendship - and How She Broke Protocol to Honor Him
Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill are both iconic figures in British history, with both having a lasting impact on the United Kingdom today.
Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth and Churchill's paths were strongly intertwined as they navigated post-World War II Europe. Keep reading to learn about their relationship.
Was Winston Churchill Prime Minister While Elizabeth Was Queen?
Elizabeth ascended to the throne at age 25 after the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952. Churchill, who served his second term in office from 1951 to 1955, was the first prime minister of Elizabeth's reign.
Churchill had formed a strong bond with Elizabeth's father during his first term as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 as they weathered WWII together. After George died, Churchill said he "felt the loss deeply."
Were Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill Friends?
Despite their 52-year age difference, Elizabeth and Churchill forged a very close bond throughout their time working together. They held weekly meetings to discuss government matters, and Churchill became a mentor to the new monarch, teaching her about the complexities of government.
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After Churchill retired in 1955, Elizabeth wrote a personal letter praising him for his "magnanimity, constant courage, and unfailing humor," per The Churchill Project.
"It would be useless to pretend that either [Anthony Eden] or any of those successors who may one day follow him in office will ever, for me, be able to hold the place of my first Prime Minister, to whom both my husband and I owe so much and for whose wise guidance during the early years of my reign I shall always be so profoundly grateful," she wrote.
What Did Winston Churchill Say About Queen Elizabeth?
Although Churchill was initially skeptical of the young queen, politician Roy Jenkins said that he had "near idolatry" for Elizabeth and great respect for the monarchy, according to British Heritage.
Lord Moran recalled Churchill saying, "I fear they may ask her to do too much. She is doing so well." The Prime Minister thought she was such a great fit as the monarch that he later said, per Moran, "Lovely, inspiring. All the film people in the world, if they had scoured the globe, could not have found anyone so suited to the part."
Was Queen Elizabeth at Winston Churchill's Funeral?
Churchill died in January 1965 at the age of 90. Elizabeth broke royal protocol by being the first person to show up at his funeral. Traditionally, the monarch does not attend funerals of non-royals and is always the last to appear at all functions. She even arrived before the coffin, granting Churchill the precedence as a national hero. Elizabeth also decided Churchill should be given a full state funeral, unheard of for a "commoner."
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In Elizabeth's personal statement about the decision to give Churchill a state funeral, she reflected on the "outstanding man" who served his country for over 50 years in "war and peace."
"In the hours of our greatest danger, [he] was the inspiring leader who strengthened and supported us all," Elizabeth wrote, adding that the country owed Churchill a "debt of gratitude."
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 6:03 PM.