Winston Churchill Retreats to Madeira

Sir Winston Churchill, one of Europe's mostLike his war-time American counterpart, President
recognisable political figures, was famous for hisFranklin D. Roosevelt, it was important for Churchill to
rousing speeches and war-time strength; what mostcontrol publicity regarding his ill-health. It was known in
people don't know is how he concealed his ill-healthconfidential circles that in recent months Churchill had
from the world by taking recuperating holidays inbeen bed-bound with a bad case of the flu. With
Madeira.elections potentially on the horizon, Sir Winston
In post-war 1950, returning to the island after manywanted to embody his usual image of stoicism and
years, Sir Winston and Lady Churchill chose to staystrength, so aimed to conceal his illness from the
at Reid`s Palace Hotel, the most famous luxury hotelpublic. But the news of his holidays in Madeira leaked,
in Madeira. The idea was to get away from Englandand when Churchill's liner arrived at the harbour in
to recover from a sustained period of illness. ChurchillFunchal, he was greeted by crowds of English
had visited Madeira previously several times, not forresidents and Madeiran locals shouting "the man who
holidays in Madeira as such, but as a brief stop off tosaved the world!" He retreated immediately to his
gather his composure on the way to report onhotel.
events around the world when he was a newsThe suite in which Churchill stayed at Reid`s Palace
correspondent.Hotel is now named after him. Reid's Palace is a
Prior to his Madeira holidays in January 1950, Winstonclassical, luxury hotel in Madeira's capital Funchal, the
Churchill had telegraphed the British Consul in Madeira,kind of high-class place where you can picture Sir
to make inquiries about Madeira's luxury hotels andWinston enjoying his cigar in comfort. He used the
ask about paintable scenes to practice his art, buthotel as a base from which to venture out and paint
the primary reason was to ensure that his trip wasthe scenery.
kept secret.