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Special
preparations were to be made for this unique voyage:
prior to his visit to Madeira, Winston Churchill telegraphed
Bryce Nairn, the British Consul in Madeira, to query
about the hotels, the landscape, the flowers, the
paintable scenes…But also, because he wanted the entire
trip to be kept under wrap. It
was important for Churchill that the consul try and
keep any publicity leaking out regarding his probable
ill-health whilst in Madeira. It was known in confidential
circles that a month earlier before his departure
he was forced to remain in bed with a bad case of
the flu. It was so severe his political agenda was
put on hold. Clearly, in course for the elections,
this would not feature positively for Winston. Thus
Madeira was to be, not only a vacation, but also the
venue of his recuperation from the fatique and possible
ill health that he started to suffer recently.
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| One
may view this photograph of Churchill at the luxurious
Reid`s Hotel, taken in 1950. It has given the
Reid`s Hotel a distinguished status by highligting
the fact that somebody as prominent as Churchill
chose this hotel to spend their winter vacation.
The suite where Churchill stayed is now named
after him and is decorated by several of his oils
painted in Madeira. |
Accompanying
him on his visit to Madeira was his wife Clementine,
his daughter Diana, two secretaries - Miss Gilliatt
and Miss Sturdee, and two special Branch detectives,
G.E. Williams and E.A Davies. On leaving England he
wrote to his beloved friend Lord Camrose saying: "
a fortnight`s sunshine is in our hopes, and some
weeks or months, or other things, in our minds."
It was evident that Churchill wanted to elude himself
from the hussle and bussle of politics.
Churchill
arrived in Funchal aboard the liner, the Durban Castle
, on the 2nd of January 1950. A surprise warm welcome
was awaiting him and his family.
The English residents had heard about his arrival
and along with the locals crowded around the harbour
shouting : " the man who saved
the world ! ".
He proceeded immediately to his suite at the Reid`s
Palace Hotel, and unpacked his war memoir materials
and his paints.
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