50 years without Churchill

By BBC

A day of events has been held in London to mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's funeral.

The boat that carried the former prime minister's coffin along the Thames in 1965 repeated the journey, with members of his family among those on board.

Earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron laid a wreath in memory of the World War Two leader, whom he called "a great leader and great Briton".

An evening service was held at Westminster Abbey.

Speaking at a service in Parliament at the start of the day of commemorations, Mr Cameron said: "If there is one aspect of this man I admire more than any other - it is Churchill the patriot."

Mr Cameron said the UK needed to draw on the "courage and resolve" of Churchill to battle "every affront to freedom in this century".

A procession from the service at St Mary's Undercroft chapel ended under what has become known as Churchill Arch.

It was rebuilt at Churchill's suggestion following a direct hit from a German bomb in May 1941.

Tower Bridge was raised as the Havengore - the boat that carried Churchill's coffin - retraced its 1965 journey from the Tower of London to Westminster. The boat then stopped near the Palace of Westminster for a service and for wreath laying in the river. At the Westminster Abbey service, flowers were laid at the green marble stone memorial to Churchill. Sir Nicholas Soames said the Westminster events were a "fitting tribute" to his grandfather and a "strong reminder of all he did for his country".

Emma Soames, Churchill's granddaughter, added: "To me growing up he was a grandfather, but I came to realise at his death that he was so much more than that.

"The family are absolutely delighted that his life is being celebrated and his legacy expanded."

Randolph Churchill said his great-grandfather would have been "surprised but thrilled" at the commemorations. He and Celia Sandys, Churchill's granddaughter, laid a wreath at his statue in Parliament Square.

'Very quiet'

Thousands of people lined the streets of London for Churchill's funeral procession in 1965.

Journalist Martin Bell, who worked for the BBC as a junior reporter at the funeral, said: "What I remember is most of all... the sheer size of them, 10-12 deep all along the way.

"Very quiet, very dignified, almost devotional. It would be hard to imagine anybody now, however eminent, drawing that kind of crowd to his funeral.

"It was unprecedented... the entire nation was watching."

1874 - Born in Blenheim Palace on 30 November

1900 - Elected to Parliament for the first time

1908 - Marries Clementine Hozier in Westminster

1915 - Forced to resign from the Cabinet in disgrace after disastrous World War One Gallipoli campaign

1940 - Appointed prime minister with Britain again at war with Germany in World War Two

1945 - Loses the General Election to Clement Attlee's Labour Party despite leading the nation to victory in the war

1951 - Returns to Downing Street again as prime minister after securing a narrow majority

1955 - Retires as prime minister due to ill health

1965 - Dies aged 90