Winston Churchill is one of the most well-known British figures of the 20th century, and today it is easy to find traces of Winston Churchill in London. Although Churchill traveled extensively, there is no city more central to his life than London. It was here that he went to school, sat at Parliament, married, lived with his family, served as Prime Minister, coordinated much of the war effort during World War 2, and died. Although Churchill is best known for his role as Britain’s fearless wartime leader during WWII, he was a well-rounded man who also served in the military, bred race horses, produced over 500 paintings, became an amateur bricklayer, won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and wrote love letters regularly to his wife. Churchill War Rooms
Shortly after becoming Prime Minister in May 1940, Winston Churchill visited the Churchill War Rooms to see for himself what preparations had been made to allow him and his War Cabinet to continue working throughout the expected air raids on London. It was there, in the underground Cabinet Room, he announced 'This is the room from which I will direct the war'. The Churchill Museum, the world’s first major museum dedicated to the life of Winston Churchill, is a permanent exhibition housed within the unique setting of the historic Cabinet War Rooms.
Churchill statue at Parliament Square – One of the most famous and well-known statues of Winston Churchill faces the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames on the northeast corner of the square. The 12 foot tall bronze statue depicting Churchill with a military overcoat and walking stick was made by sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones, and it was unveiled in 1973 by Lady Churchill in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II.