Why did Winston Churchill say no to being made a Duke.

[@newsreelhistory2237]

Sorry some corrections. Churchill second term as PM started in 1951. I always forget they had two elections back to back. And Macmillan was Prime minister from 1957 to 63 not 53 to 67, I mixed up the numbers when speaking. Thank you.

[@WILLIAM1690WALES]

Thank you, I was just about to make that comment about Macmillan

[@danwallach8826]

Ah-ah, Mr. Wilson. Ah-ah, Mr. Heath!

[@gidzmobug2323]

@@danwallach8826 'Cause I'm the Taxman, Yeah, I'm the Taxman, And you're working for no one but me! (Sorry, but I couldn't resist!)

[@llewev]

That is not the Duke of Wellington's "Crest" but his "Arms" or "Achievement" the crest refers only to the object on the top of the helmet.

[@georgethurlow7253]

In 1945 when defeated He also turned down the order of the Garter feeling it was not suitable for defeated politicians he said I cannot accept the order of the Garter from His majesry when the People have given me the order of the boot

[@bobg5362]

Thanks. Now I need to gouge my eyes out to get rid of the image of Churchill wearing nothing but garters and boots.😜

[@faithlesshound5621]

The Marquess of Salisbury, who was a Tory prime minister several times towards the end of the 19th century, was twice offered a dukedom by Queen Victoria, and on both occasions turned it down for the same reason as Churchill, that he could not afford to maintain the lifestyle expected of a duke. That was partly because he had, at the beginning of his adult life, rejected his father's advice to find himself a wealthy American heiress to marry.

[@newsreelhistory2237]

Salisbury was also the last prime Minister to serve from the house of lords instead of the house of commons.

[@faithlesshound5621]

@@newsreelhistory2237 As prime Minister, he was also Foreign Secretary (and responsible for seizing much of Africa) and others held the role of First Lord of the Treasury. Salisbury wrote anonymous essays and leaders for magazines and newspapers and remains a hero of the far right for his disdain for democracy and his disavowal of the role of ordinary morality in business and affairs of state. However, both the Times and the Guardian called him a socialist for his views on housing the poor. His name lives on in the expression "Bob's your uncle," which refers to his passing on the premiership to his nephew AJ Balfour.

[@FlaviusConstantinus306]

@@newsreelhistory2237coincidentally probably one of the best prime ministers we ever had.

[@BigRed2]

He lost a lot of money in the great depression in the US stock market

[@seamonster936]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@newsreelhistory2237Alec Douglas-Home sat in the Lords as the Earl of Home for four days after being selected by the Tories to succeed Macmillan before renouncing his title (under that law for Tony Benn) and then being elected to the Commons.

[@nickd4310]

For people whose aristocratic status is beyond question, specific titles often mean very little.

[@roscomeon3965]

Rightly so. They are no better or relevant that something from Hogwarths that Harry Potter and his friends might dream up. Mere bs,garbage and trash

[@jomama3465]

@@roscomeon3965 they are relevant. You just do not know how British society works and how much influence they can wield in their backchanneling and agreements in dinners.

[@roscomeon3965]

@jomama3465 what you mean is criminal corruption. Influence peddling. Be a member of the Masons, a corrupt tory party member or in this case a royal crony. The cronies with influence because they lick an establishment or royal ass can get things they are NOT entitled to. Merit is not a criteria. Its not what you know, its who you know. England is not a merit based society. Thanks for confirming.

[@fazbell]

Massive respect for this extraordinary man.

[@davidhoward4715]

@simonengland6448 So you think he should have surrendered to Nazi Germany?

[@SamBrickell]

@simonengland6448 Your empire fell because you let foreigners inside of your borders.

[@adammonaghan5470]

Killing 3 million Bengali’s through colonial famine? he was a disgraceful genocidal racist !

[@Kx0195]

​@simonengland6448 What would you have suggested as the alternative? Think of the state of the country at the time along with the rest of the world. We came very very close to losing everything and I don't think you've read enough to take that viewpoint.

[@uwillal]

T'here's no secrets of this. Churchill said in his memoirs that he turned down the opportunity to be a duke because he would have to leave the House of Commons which he loved.

[@Tony-y9q]

Churchill was entitled to full US citizenship as his mother was an American

[@beowulf1312]

Trump is a British citizen because his mother was born in the UK.

[@Luke_05]

@@beowulf1312 Never thought of that before

[@roberthudson1959]

Not according to the laws in place at the time of his birth, which caused him to tell Congress: "I cannot help reflecting that if my father had been American and my mother British, instead of the other way 'round, I might have got here on my own."

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

​@@beowulf1312We've never seen the birth certificate so it's a dubious claim

[@susanwhite7474]

⁠​⁠@@beowulf1312No, the UK requires registration while a child, which his family didn't do

[@py8554]

By the way Churchill's paternal grandfather is John Spencer-Churchill, the 7th Duke of Marlborough.

[@ralphwortley1206]

Hir Order of Merit, amngst those who know the implications, was a great honour, and is given sparingly. His Knight Commander of the Bath is also a rare and high honour. I think that he felt more at home in the Commons, especially as the House of Lords in those days wasn't much of a political force.

[@bernardkealey6449]

He never received a knighthood till he got the Garter. Order of the Bath was at the time a political appointment anyway, the only real Chivalrous order available to an Englishman is, and was then, Garter - which is purely a gift of the Sovreign. He allegedly turned down Garter after his electoral defeat in 45, no mention I’ve ever seen if he was offered anything from Royal Victorian Order - the only other order including Knighthoods which is a gift of the sovereign.

[@MartinCook-kg1vn]

2 things. He was given the choice of being ennobled or having a state funeral, and he chose the latter. And MacMillan was PM from 1957- 1963, not 53-67.

[@newsreelhistory2237]

Oops sorry I misspoke there and mixed up the years, you are correct.

[@michaelmccomb2594]

What source are you using for this? I highly doubt these offers would be mutually exclusive

[@FlyxPat]

@@michaelmccomb2594- I’m with you

[@joshhoffman1975]

Wow, I have never heard of this, such a shame he was never made the Duke of London! 😮😢

[@meiriongwril9696]

It's not a crest but a coat of arms!

[@danielellis4749]

The issues were more complex than shown in this video. But it is an adequate summary.

[@FlyxPat]

Losing the Commons seat is plausible but knocking back a title because of the expense sounds dubious. I expect Churchill was joking about that. Chartwell was no smaller than the ‘stately house’ pictured and Churchill was already high aristocracy with estate and household and Hyde Park Corner house. Court and county responsibilities are more likely to be the thing he wanted to avoid.

[@afctaylor12]

Sure he could of got the money of Henry Strakosch

[@RobBCactive]

Churchill was reliant on donations from supportive friends, he earned much but Chartwell was financially crushing. Not an estate with large rental and commercial income. But it does sound like a diplomatic reason, he had a unique title "Sir Winston Churchill" already, post-war the country was egalitarian and wanted to modernise, ennoblement would not have enhanced his reputation. As a popular historian Churchill used Lord Salisbury's reason to refuse according to another commenter, so rhyming with "wise" precedent likely amused him.

[@billmmckelvie5188]

Winston Churchill did have one honour bestowed upon him, a knight of the realm.

[@EdMcF1]

Bit of confusion here between 'Royal Duke' a title given to Sovereign's sons, often on marriage, and plain 'Duke'.

[@PLuMUK54]

A controversial character but a great man. People love to nitpick about his relationship with alcohol, his arrogance, his racism, but where would we be today without his efforts? He was no angel, but in the greater scheme of things, he was not just the right man in the right place, he was the only man for the role.

[@johnallen7807]

Only "controversial" if you judge him by the warped woke standards of today

[@randomobserver8168]

His alcoholism seemed not to hinder him, unless we are to assume his performance in office would have been even more strenuous and energetic, his arrogance was infamous and did lead him astray on some decisions but frankly was not out of keeping with the requirements of succeeding in high office in such challenging times [though there are variant styles- FDR was also ferociously arrogant but had more outward grace], and his racism was pretty trifling in the grand scheme of things. By the standards of his time, not even above average if even average. There's "patronizing toward elite upper class Indian men" and then there's actual malevolence.

[@amund8821]

@@johnallen7807Also to Iranians and Norwegians. Invaded Iran and after his scheming around a invasion of Norway, caused the Germans to invade before the british ships could arrive.

[@johnallen7807]

@@amund8821 And I bet you live in a "democracy" like North Korea!, try learning some history

[@amund8821]

@@johnallen7807 I am Norwegian. Winston Churchill caused the invasion of my country, he bombed many of our cities and through elaborate schemes too complicated to go over here, got my great grandfather killed over a fake mission. This is my country’s history, it is not even controversial, its just what happened.

[@howtoappearincompletely9739]

That seems like a foolish decision to me, especially with regard to the proposed Dukedom of London.

[@TheLukasDirector]

It was his to make, and he made it. Whatever you or I think of it does not hold much significance.

[@howtoappearincompletely9739]

@@TheLukasDirector Isn't that stating the glaringly obvious?

[@terminallumbago6465]

It seemed a practical one. He simply couldn’t afford it.

[@jonsouth1545]

Winston Churchill was not elected under Queen Victoria his father was but Winston did not enter parliament until the Febuary of 1901 a month after her death.

[@roberthudson1959]

Incorrect. He was elected MP for Oldham in October, 1900.

[@Pacman398]

There were enough simple factual errors in this that causes me to doubt any of the information in it.

[@Philobiblion]

One big problem was Randolph himself, who was a drunk and a lout. The idea of R inheriting the dukedom was repellant.

[@rivenoak]

Randolph was his heir, barony or dukedom and anything between

[@TheLukasDirector]

Sir Winston, on the other hand, was neither of those.

[@gidzmobug2323]

As I remember, Churchill had some noble ancestry. His father was a younger son of a Duke of Marlborough.

[@michaelbayer5094]

Yes, and he born at his grandfather's ducal estate, Blenheim Palace. But Winston's father inherited no titles and rose high in the Conservative Party as an elected Member of the House of Commons, which was then eclipsing the Lords as the more powerful chamber. IMO, Winston, because of his huge ego, saw election in the Commons as superior to a hereditary seat in the Lords, and this was also why he rejected the lordship. However, I also believe if he had inherited a seat, he would have done everything he could to preserve the power of the Lords, also because of that ego.

[@UwU-xk5cx]

Yeah, but not the firstborn, the closest he was was 2nd in line for the dukedom but everyone on the main line had at least 1 male child

[@gidzmobug2323]

@@UwU-xk5cx Churchill's father was the third son of the 7th Duke. The eldest son became the 8th Duke (and only had one son). The second son only lived five years.

[@robertblake9892]

The Version I Heard was he wanted to remain in the House of Commons.

[@roberthudson1959]

Churchill did not want to become a peer because he wanted to serve a second term as Prime Minister. Actually, he wouldn't even be knighted until 1953.

[@captainscarlett1]

Why would you want to be a Duke when you are already Winston Churchill? It would be a step down.

[@rupturedduck6981]

Winston Churchill was a great American even if he wasn't an American 🇬🇧 🇺🇲

[@FlaviusConstantinus306]

It’s weird to think Churchill outlived JFK.

[@mikemyshka1472]

Churchill and Spencer families are part of the another Duke who title into important families of Nobility and the Monarchy from the other side where you’re not in the line of succession. They have a connection to important Scottish families too think.

[@UwU-xk5cx]

The main branch of the churchill family actually is a ducal family, the Dukes of Malborough (churchill was born to the third son of the head of the state so unless the other first 2 sons and their lines were extinct he wouldnt become duke), and the Spencers are actually debatably the rightful claimants to the throne of Britain according to the Jacobite line of succession that argues that no one, specially not parlament, has the ability to take the right of a king to rule on the basis of religion meaning that James of Stuart and his sucession should have been kings instead of the Hannoverians and thus today there are 2 claimants, the most Senior legal heir is currently the head of the Bavarian Royal Dynasty, the Wittelsbach, but the most Senior actual heir (although not legal since the line started from an illegitimate son), is the head of the house of Spencer

[@pedanticradiator1491]

​@UwU-xk5cx the Spencers link to the Stuarts is through several illegitimate lines which do not count in succession rules. Plus the Dukes of Marlborough have never been heads of state I think you mean head of the family

[@zen4men]

========================= He was the grandson of a duke - ================================== Churchill required no title to be an aristocrat. He was noble! /

[@korbengunsludovicy]

The UK has very strict rules on what constitutes nobility (namely only those that hold peerage titles are considered nobility), so while he was the grandson of the Duke of Marlborough, the son of a lord (as sons of dukes were always styled lord), and a Knight of the Garter, the world's oldest still existing order of knighthood, he was a commoner all his life.

[@zen4men]

​@@korbengunsludovicy It is what is in a man's heart and mind that makes someone noble. Nobility - in it's finer sense - is a state of evolution past the primitive fear-based norm. Nobility inspires people to act from higher motives - which is something to encourage in a sensibly-run society ( which we do not have ). / Looking back at my own ancestors of all ranks, from top to bottom, I see examples I admire, and those I would avoid if possible. I can see traits in ancestors played out in myself centuries later - even down to the same words and actions in challenging circumstances. As I know we all never die, it makes perfect sense, because we choose our family in which to be born, and the scenario into which we are inserted for maximum growth potential under Freewill. / Churchill was noble because it was unthinkable to him not to be. Churchill never needed to create a public image - he was what centuries of blood and experience made him. /

[@KK-lv2dy]

@@korbengunsludovicyhe was never a peer but since he was made a knight, he technically did not die a commoner . Knights and baronets who both hold the title sir - the latter hereditary - are gentry nobles.

[@rivenoak]

@@korbengunsludovicy a pity, as in german laws any son/daughter gets the title just for being descended from the person first created such noble. with premier titles like duke the offspring not in line of succession would be still a prince/princess, which is fancy still. :D such tradition also leads to lot of nobilities, because all grandsons/granddaughters etc. would share the title as well. modern germany ablolished the titles BUT retained it as part of surname. get desenden or get married or adopted and you are named pretty :)

[@EdMcF1]

Churchill's mother was an American citizen.

[@timfogarty-ch2fs]

There is no such thing as THE British Five Pound note. Churchill is on A British Five Pound note- the Bank of England one.

[@davidauerbach2626]

No he wasn’t born here he had to return to America and become a resident to become a citizen his choice ,he was made a American citizen as a honorary citizen by Congress I think in his 90 s in the sixties

[@cinemaipswich4636]

Thatcher was made a Baroness. The lowest of the hereditary titles that the Monarch can give. The King should withdraw it as a matter of common decency.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

The late Margaret Thatchers title of Baroness was for her lifetime only as are most modern peerages and is now extinct. Her husband was made a Baronet though which is why their son is known as Sir Mark Thatcher

[@wholeNwon]

Chamberlain also declined a title.

[@newsreelhistory2237]

Correct, he was offered it close to his death but said he would prefer to die as plain Mr. Chamberlain.

[@wholeNwon]

@@newsreelhistory2237 As his father had.

[@tonymarsh8436]

Umm on second thought, that would have been Benjamin Franklin. Hey it's late and I've had a few. Pretty sure Sir Winston would forgive me this slip up.

[@alexkoppers7882]

Churchill took office in februari 1901 one month after Victoria died.

[@TheLukasDirector]

February*, we zijn hier niet in Nederland hè.

[@andrewmcgee382]

Not as PM he didn't. It was 1940, as suggested in the video.

[@yvonneplant9434]

Wasn't his older brother a Duke?

[@pintpot]

He didn't have an older brother. He had a younger brother, Jack. His uncle was the Duke of Marlborough, but that title didn't pass to Winston Churchill's family because Sir Winston's father was only the 3rd son of the 7th Duke.

[@tonymarsh8436]

Okay. So Winston Churchill is a bit of a hero of mine. We shall fight them..we shall never surrender. Stirring stuff and absolutely needed in the day. And hey, let us not forget that same, or similar emergency may come upon Democracy again. And that we, as Franklin Roosevelt said, must pay the price of Liberty by being eternally vigelent. But do I actually give a f*** wether Sir Winston was made a Duke, or not, or why he refused? Nup. Irrelevant to today. Just more old school English thinking, totally anachronistic in today's world. Just sayin

[@BillDavies-ej6ye]

1:24 "King George the Sick." Please, pronounce our words correctly.

[@snelled]

If you want an answer to your question: Not every asshole he ever met was a Duke but almost every Duke was one

[@rivenoak]

what about his family then ? ;)

[@felixthecat3n2]

What a very silly comment.

[@christianluts810]

Why does the pronunciation vary between Duke and "Dook"?

[@newsreelhistory2237]

I have both british and American audiences so I kind of switched between pronunciations.

[@Seraphina-Rose]

Duke is not the highest title of the aristocracy. Prince/Princess and King/Queen are both higher.

[@ianrobertson2282]

Prince/princess and king/queen are not part of the aristocracy. They are Royalty. Duke is the highest rank in the Peerage.

[@joodebritannia6345]

Now the “Joke of London” is Sadiq Khan 😂😂😂…

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

The joke is on you, he's getting re-elected

[@ron88303]

@@DanBeech-ht7sw Yup. 3.9 million strong and growing daily. Just a matter of time.

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

@@ron88303 what is?

[@ron88303]

@@DanBeech-ht7sw Look at the demographics.

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

@@ron88303 could you try to make yourself a bit clearer?

[@magillanz]

Churchill didn't deserve it. He made many errors and was an awful person.

[@MikeA15206]

For all of you correcting minor errors in this video, please post links to your videos so we can piss all over yours like you did to this one!

[@mamelucoderribado]

So Is david cameron no longer in the house of commons?

[@DoctorX101]

Yes and No: he resigned some time ago, becoming the Sheriff of the Duchy of Lannistersomething since you cannot actually resign from Parliament. Since he was no longer a member of Parliament, he could not serve in cabinet without being that or a member of Lords. It was not as if there was some by election he could win! So he was make a lord, which put him in the House of Lords, which allows him to serve in cabinet.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

​@DoctorX101 when you want to resign from the Commons before a general election you must apply for 1 of 2 non-jobs they are either the Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds or Steward of Northstead Manor. There is a position in the UK cabinet known as The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which is normally given to someone the PM wants in the Cabinet to do a specific job but outside a government department.

[@DoctorX101]

@@pedanticradiator1491 Indeed.

[@stickemuppunkitsthefunlovi4733]

Rather be a duke than an mp

[@roberthudson1959]

Look at the list of government positions held by Churchill, none of which would have been possible for a peer.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

The only cabinet position I believe is not officially available to a peer is that of Chancellor of the Exchequer as they have to present the budget to the Commons. In the 18th and 19th centuries some Prime Ministers were also Chancellors but not if they were members of the House of Lords. Churchill was Chancellor in the 1920s

[@roberthudson1959]

@@pedanticradiator1491 Whatever the legalities, the reality is that no PM has been a peer since 1902, with the exception of one who needed a couple of days to renounce his peerage.

[@rhettmartin1198]

Look thanks for this but please get the facts right. Churchill was PM for a second time from 1951 to 1955, not 1950 - 1955. Also MacMillan was not PM from 1953 to 1967 but 1957 - 1963. Kapisch?!

[@nobilismaximus]

Chirchill was able to beca usa citizen through his mother

[@pedanticradiator1491]

He would be able to today but not according to American law at the time which only granted foreign born people citizenship if their fathers were American

[@catmonarchist8920]

Should have passed the life peerages act earlier and made him a Barron

[@newsreelhistory2237]

For those who don't know it, it eventually became possible for people to renounce titles in order to continue to serve in the House of Commons.

[@johnwright9372]

Tony Benn renounced his peerage, but an Act of Parliament had to be passed so he could become an MP.

[@waynehanley72]

Interestingly, Churchill's mother was American, so ... he could have applied for US citizenship at any time.

[@carololson7159]

Unfortunately, being a child of an American mother did not give the child American citizenship at the time that Winston Churchill was born! Only could get American citizenship through an American father!

[@IvanTibster]

Churchill was born in the USA.

[@billpotter3383]

You need to check your dates - the ones I heard were all wrong. If you can't get simple facts right, why should I think the rest is correct.

[@andypandy9013]

Your dates are WAY out fella. Churchill's second term was 1951 to 1955, not 1950 to 1955. Harold Macmillan was Prime Minister from 1957 to 1963, not 1953 to 1967.

[@newsreelhistory2237]

Yeah sorry for Macmillan, I misspoke mixed up 57 and 63 with 53 and 67.

[@BigRed2]

My family is part of the Earls

[@trevorcook9680]

Big deal

[@pedanticradiator1491]

Which earl?

[@BigRed2]

@@pedanticradiator1491 My Grandfather is The Earl of Shrewsbury

[@pedanticradiator1491]

@@BigRed2 OK

[@suzanneelliott4245]

Churchhill was the son of a second son whose grandfather was titled sooooo no title. This is click bate.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

He was twice offered a dukedom of his own

[@alistair1978utube]

What is this "Dook" you speak of?

[@newsreelhistory2237]

I have a large american audience, so I was kind of indecisive on what pronunciation to use.

[@theAEDan]

Why be a duke in a country you yourself ruined?

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

In what way?

[@chrismoore6309]

Wasn't he already a duc

[@rivenoak]

grandson of a duke, but his father had older brother. so the uncle inherited the dukedom

[@rickwilliams967]

Because he was a drunk?

[@roscomeon3965]

Make believe like Harry Potter. Honour my ass. Like something from a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.

[@rivenoak]

you dont have to like it and if it happens you could deny as well. :p remember the Higgs boson discovery ? late Peter Higgs himself denied knighthood but the CERN scientist Francois Englert was belgian and took the offer from his king Albert II. and became a baron. all belgian astronauts upon return from space became a _vicomte_ as well. if you are pretty good in math: Sir Andrew Wiles was knighted for proof of Fermat's Theorem. solve such stuff and wait a bit.... knighthood incoming and it was hard work.