Winston Churchill's Last Meal With Queen Elizabeth Before Retiring As Prime Minister

Few figures from the 20th century carry as much weight and renown as Sir Winston Churchill — even his silhouette is instantly recognizable by those even a little bit interested in the history of the past century. Though by no means a perfect individual, Churchill played a key role in British politics throughout the 1900s -– especially during the German blitz of England in the early years of World War II, when he established himself as a rousing orator and determined commander. But no one's star can shine forever, nor can anyone's political career, and by 1955, Churchill faced the tough decision to resign as prime minister. Prior to officially resigning as the head of his party, he hosted Queen Elizabeth II and several other esteemed guests for a meal at 10 Downing Street.

While the nitty-gritty details of such a richly attended dinner are understandably hard to find, historian and Churchill scholar Bradley P. Tolppanen fleshes out the dishes served on the fateful evening before Churchill's resignation. According to his Blog on Winston Churchill, the meal comprised many familiar dishes and at least one unusual one: "Served at the dinner was turtle soup, fresh salmon, saddle of lamb, fresh peaches and cream, coffee and liqueurs." And though historical sources of this specific meal are hard to ascertain, this certainly seems like a meal worthy of one of Britain's more influential figures.

While these dishes don't stand out as particularly lavish or eccentric, as one might think of the multicourse affairs of royal dining, they certainly fall in line with information we've been able to find regarding Winston Churchill's tastes and tendencies. Take the turtle soup for instance: It was popular for a time, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, on the dinner tables of the wealthy and powerful. The dish is now illegal to eat in the U.S. (and canned soup giant Campbell's even discontinued its mock-turtle soup). But it definitely fits with Churchill's predilection toward clear soups. His liking of clear soups was in direct contrast to cream-based soups, which he had a distaste for, according to The Splendid Table.

Another way in which this meal was a highlight of Churchill's culinary preferences was, of course, in the drinks served during the evening's duration. Churchill was a well-known enjoyer of alcoholic beverages, especially his favorite brand of scotch. And while scotch itself isn't mentioned in Bradley P. Tolppanen's account of the dinner, coffees and liqueurs certainly do. We can only speculate as to which liqueurs were featured, or whether he and his guests mixed certain liqueurs with their coffees. What remains clear, though, is Churchill's enjoyment of an after-dinner beverage to round out the meal (and to prolong the discussion topics of said meal).

For a politician as tenured as Winston Churchill (he was first elected prime minister in 1940 after four decades in politics), it's fair to say that he had played host to a number of high-profile individuals over the years. However, prior to hosting Queen Elizabeth II in the waning hours of his career as prime minister, there's one other dinner at 10 Downing Street that stands out among the many that Churchill inevitably hosted there: a royal luncheon for Elizabeth's father, King George VI, in 1941. The meal was nothing grandiose — Britain was rationing during World War II — but the account from the Imperial War Museums identifies the menu: "Fish patty, tournedos with mushrooms on top and braised celery and chipped potatoes, peaches and cheese to follow."

Nothing in this meal stands out as particularly ostentatious, but hosting such multicourse meals (with their long, drawn-out timespans) shows how Churchill not only ate his food, but also used it as a means of conducting business or having intense and important conversations. According to historians, Churchill liked to use this time, including the digestif-drinking and cigar-smoking hours post-meal, as a means to have conversations with such figures as the King of England. To him, it seems, these conversations were at the true heart of his dining experience. And while we hope that topics around your dinner table are less dire than a world war, the marriage of good food and good conversation is certainly not lost on us.