Sir Winston Churchill died forty-seven years ago today

Sir Winston Churchill, who passed away forty-seven years ago today, bows to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, C.R. Attlee and Herbert Morrison standing behind him.

The royal family made fun of Margaret Thatcher's deep curtsies but this bow seems pretty deep.

In January 1955 Churchill, as recorded in Harold Macmillan’s diary, suggested to his cabinet 'Keep England White. That would be a good election slogan.' How unimaginably long ago.

King George VI meant something but is Prince William of Wales merely a celebrity who wears a morning coat as fancy dress and watches the same television programmes as his future subjects? Mind you, King George VI loved music halls and Harry Lauder. And Lady Mountbatten we know loved Hutch. And the Prince Regent and his Princess of Wales were celebrities avant la lettre.

But the class system though it certainly still exists has changed very much since the days of Harold Nicolson, when we ruled the world and the middle classes were ridiculous and all Americans except Douglas Fairbanks Jr.were vulgar.