2020 VIRTUAL CHURCHILL CONFERENCE
37th International Churchill Conference
Churchill in Adversity
this ONLINE conference is free of charge*
23 and 24 OCTOBER 2020
Broadcast Live From Churchill College, Cambridge
*Registration is Required
Conference Start Times
2:00 PM London (BST)
9:00 AM Washington/Toronto (EST)
6:00 AM Los Angeles/Vancouver (PST)
An invitation from Randolph Churchill, great-grandson of Sir Winston Churchill.
This conference seeks to explore leadership in times of adversity. We will mark the sacrifices of the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, 80 years on, and celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
KEYNOTE speakers
Sir John Major
Sir John Major KG CH served as British Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997.
Lord Hague
Baron Hague of Richmond PC FRSL served as Foreign Secretary from 2010-2014.
Jonathan Dimbleby
Jonathan Dimbleby is a British historian, biographer and broadcaster.
Featured speakers
Lord Boateng
Former UK Labour MP and High Commissioner for South Africa, now in the House of Lords.
Randolph Churchill
Mr Churchill is a trustee of the ICS and and Great Grandson of Winston Churchill.
Geneva Henry
George Washington University Dean of Libraries and Academic Innovation.
Allen Packwood OBE
Packwood is a Fellow of Churchill College and the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre.
Rear Adm Dr Chris Parry
Former Royal Navy officer who now runs a own strategic forecasting company.
Mitchell Reiss
Former diplomat and Distinguished Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
Professor Andrew Roberts
Andrew Roberts is a British historian, author, journalist and broadcaster.
Emma Soames
Soames has edited a number of British magazine titles and is a granddaughter of Sir Winston.
Katherine Carter
Collections and House Manager at Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill.
Lord Dobbs
British Conservative politician and author, best known for his House of Cards trilogy.
Dr Karin von Hippel
The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is an independent defence policy think tank.
Barry Phipps
Curator of Art and Science, Newton Institute; Director, History of Art, Churchill College
Paul Rafferty
Paul Rafferty is author of Winston Churchill: Painting on the French Riviera.
Professor David Reynolds
Emeritus Professor of International History at Cambridge University.
Celia Sandys
Celia Sandys is the author of five books on the life of her grandfather Winston Churchill.
Cita Stelzer
Author of several books on Churchill, advisor to ICS and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute.
Nonie Chapman
Former Personal Assistant to Lady Spencer-Churchill, Lord Soames and then Lady Soames.
Laurence Geller CBE
Laurence Geller is chairman of the International Churchill Society and Geller Capital.
Catherine Grace Katz
Author of Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans, and student of Law.
Amb Robert C. O'Brien
O'Brien has held past political appointments and is current US National Security Advisor.
Justin Reash
Executive Director of ICS and the Program Director of the National Churchill Library and Center.
Timothy Riley
Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator at the National Churchill Museum.
Edwina Sandys
Edwina Sandys is the author of several books on the art of her grandfather Winston Churchill.
Lady Williams
Lady Williams of Elvel, as Jane Portal served as a secretary to Churchill from 1949 to 1955.
Day One - Friday, 23 October 2020
2:00 PM to 2:05 PM (BST)
Our conference moderator, Allen Packwood, Director, Churchill Archives Centre, welcomes guests and provides an overview of the conference agenda and how to both navigate the site during the sessions, and interact with the conference team in Cambridge.
2:05 PM to 3:00 PM (BST)
Leadership in Adversity I
Laurence Geller, Chairman of the International Churchill Society, introduces Sir John Major, Former British Prime Minister and Lord Hague, Former British Foreign Secretary. Drawing on their own experience, they will explore the leadership qualities necessary in times of adversity and look at some of the challenges facing the world today. The session will conclude with questions from the virtual audience.
3:00 PM to 3:15 PM (BST)
15 minute break.
During which we will play a series of short videos with the common theme of ‘Inspire like Churchill’.
3:15 PM to 4:30 PM (BST)
Painting as much more than a Pastime
Randolph Churchill, President, International Churchill Society and Great-grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, introduces the session and Katherine Carter, Senior Collections and House Manager, Chartwell, will then give a personal guide to the newly refurbished painting studio at Chartwell. A fascinating exploration of the locations Churchill painted in the South of France, will be followed by a live discussion between Barry Phipps, Director of Studies in the History of Art, Churchill College, and Paul Rafferty, artist and author of Winston Churchill: Painting on the French Riviera. The session will conclude with questions from the virtual audience.
4:30 PM to 4:45 PM (BST)
15 minute break
During which we will play a series of short videos that include Churchill granddaughter Edwina Sandys and a fascinating insight from President George W Bush, 43rd President of the United States, on how Churchill influenced him as an artist.
4:45 PM to 6.00 PM (BST)
Churchill’s Legacy and Relevance Today
Derek Greenwell, Chairman of the UK Conference Committee, introduces broadcaster and author Jonathan Dimbleby, who will chair a panel discussion between Lord Boateng, British Politician and Former Ambassador to South Africa, Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry, Senior Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute, Dr Karin von Hippel, Director General, Royal United Services Institute and Professor Andrew Roberts, Historian and Author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny.
6:00 PM (BST)
End of Day One
This conference has been GENEROUSLY sponsored by
Laurence Geller CBE
Jean-Paul & Isabelle Montupet
Dr Ron & Eleanor Luke
Robert & Regina Muehlhauser
Gretchen B Kimball
Philip & Erin Boeckman
We would like to thank our generous sponsors which is allowing us to bring this conference to you online–entirely for free*.
*Registration is required.
we would also like to thank our event partners
Royal United Services Institute, London
America's National Churchill Museum
National Churchill Library
and Center
Join Us Online from London for the 2020 Virtual
37th International Churchill Conference
23 - 24 OCTOBER 2020
Portrait of Winston Churchill at the RAF Club bar, London
FRIDAY
23rd OCTOBER
Conference sessions will begin at 2:00 PM London (BST) and run though until 6:00 PM.
During the day distinguished speakers will include former British Prime Minister Sir John Major in conversation with former Foreign Secretary Lord Hague. Speakers will also include Randolph Churchill, Admiral Chris Parry, Karen von Hippel, Paul Rafferty, Barry Phipps, Lord Boateng and Andrew Roberts.
Churchill's favourite Champagne Pol Roger
Saturday
24th OCTOBER
Conference sessions will begin at 2:00 PM London (BST) and run though until 6:15 PM.
During the second day, sessions will include Mitchell Reiss in conversation with current US National Security Advisor Robert C O'Brien, Katherine Carter introducing a selection of videos remembering Churchill though a female lens, plus David Reynolds and Catherine Katz. The day will conclude with remarks by Lord Dobbs, best known as the author of the House of Cards trilogy.
We hope that you will be able to join us for this special online event live from London.
#Churchill2020
Chartwell, in the Kent countryside
America's National Churchill Museum
Churchill College, Cambridge
National Churchill Library and Center
EXCLUSIVE LOCATION INTERVIEWS
During the conference we will bring you exclusive interviews from historic Churchill sites.
Further conference details, speaker profiles and updates will be announced in Finest Hour, Churchill Bulletin and here on our conference page.
Join Us from London for the 2020 Virtual
37th International Churchill Conference
23 - 24 OCTOBER 2020
Winston Churchill
The Life of Churchill
Sir Winston S Churchill
Winston Churchill was born at the family's ancestral home, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, on 30 November 1874, he was a British politician, army officer, and writer. He was the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, when he led Britain to victory in the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill represented five constituencies during his career as a Member of Parliament (MP). In his lifetime Churchill published more than forty books in sixty volumes, as well as hundreds of articles. In 1953 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his contribution to the written and spoken word.
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Help Keep the memory of Winston Churchill Alive
The International Churchill Society (ICS) is an international non-profit educational association dedicated to preserving the thoughts, words and deeds of Sir Winston Churchill.
