Chapter 53 prime minister and duke at the manor

Blenheim Palace (Bleheim Palace) became the birthplace of Churchill, somewhat by accident. This manor is indeed the ancestral property of the Churchill family, whose ancestor was the Duke of Marlborough, the first generation owner.It has been passed down from generation to generation to the eighth generation, and the eldest son inherits the tradition of the title. Churchill's uncle is the eighth generation duke, so he becomes the real owner of the manor. Churchill's parents live elsewhere. One day in 1874, Churchill's parents were invited to his brother's estate.Some sources say that they came to participate in the evening party, and some sources said they came to participate in hunting. I think these two activities are not contradictory, first hunt nearby and then participate in the evening party.The ancestors of the European nobles were all meritorious warriors on horseback, so they have been proud of martial arts from generation to generation. Hunting is a kind of aristocratic custom, and even female guests are willing to participate.Churchill's mother was probably watching the hunt outdoors. She was supposed to give birth in six weeks, but she was born prematurely for unknown reasons.People anxiously sent her back to the mansion. After entering the gate, she was helped into the nearest room on the right. This is the place where Churchill was born.

Now this room has been carefully arranged, with a big bed in the center, and an oil portrait of Churchill's mother hanging on the wall beside the bed, which is said to have been written by Churchill himself; opposite the big bed, there is a glass cabinet with a white embroidered A baby vest, marked as worn by Churchill after his birth. Baby vests are always small, but Churchill's was so small that anyone would have laughed out loud.The small body held in the palm will shake the world with its own power.In this room he should still be asleep, maybe there will be a few cries.I remembered reading in a memoir in my early years that this political figure still attended parliament with honor in his later years, but he fell asleep shortly after the meeting started and snored loudly.Because of his great achievements and high morals, no one disturbed his deep sleep in court.Then, the Churchill in his later years and the Churchill wearing this little vest became one again, completely asleep.After half his life, Churchill was all-powerful and returned to his babyhood.

Under the big bed in the birth room, there are leather slippers that Churchill wore when he was prime minister. These leather slippers and vests are combined together, almost becoming a modernist art, showing that life falls to the ground twice, is bound twice, means infinite. Walking from Churchill's birth room, there is a long corridor displaying Churchill's photos and relics. Although the layout is rough, it also reflects his glory days. However, compared with all these displays, the mansion mainly presents the centuries-old glory of the Duke of Marlborough, so complete and majestic, Churchill's display is like a little decoration on the tail of an elephant, It is trivial.

The host not only accepted Churchill, but also told the visitors that Churchill is only our relative, and the important thing is that we are in the same line; Churchill was only active within a hundred years, while the history of our family is far away.Looking closely, it is really amazing. Looking out from their large study window, it is actually a garden imitating the Palace of Versailles in France. The garden is deep and far away with the jungle as the background.In the study there is a statue of the Queen, a piano and a pipe organ, and the servants are still standing upright.This kind of posture is indeed not comparable to the former residence of any modern prime minister.

Churchill was born here by chance, but he entangled modern politics and feudal politics together, which not only evoked the roots, but also formed a contrast.What is the best way out for the feudal aristocracy?What are the best sources for modern politics?There seems to be a British answer here. The current owner of the manor is the eleventh-generation Duke, a thin old man in his seventies, with a slight limp in his legs.Before he appeared, a tall young female secretary asked us to address him with respect, and praised him over and over again with uncontrollable reverence: What a charming person!

After he appeared, we didn't see any charm. We only felt that he was very enthusiastic and told about Churchill's birth. After we listened and asked a few words carefully, he became a little impatient, and when we asked again, he was finally annoyed: Why is it always Churchill?This is the Blenheim estate of the Duke of Marlborough!You should be a little interested in the management of this manor, right? For the sake of being polite, the host Wen Diya followed suit and asked a few questions about the management of the manor, and the old man became excited.But at this moment, I saw the sadness of the old man.He originally wanted to decorate the manor with Churchill's birth, but anyone who came in almost put the cart before the horse, and was only interested in Churchill, asking questions.

A tour guide told me softly that the elderly would encounter the same troubles almost every day, so every time they would be annoyed by enthusiasm, prompted by annoyance, and finally get a little tacit caring comfort. It is understandable that a manor bestowed by the queen should be taken over by the accidental birth of a child, no matter how promising the child may be in the future, they cannot bear it.I believe that the old man has repeatedly planned to dismantle the display of Churchill, but if this is the case, the interference will be gone, and the visitors will be gone. In fact, in a few years, even Churchill will be rarely known.These mansion gardens will still exist, what characters and content, what worries and sighs will they carry?No one can predict.

This time I have seen too many noble manors in Europe. The starting point of each one is a heroic epic, and the middle may be a romantic drama or a philosophical drama. Now, almost without exception, all of them have become tragicomedies.