Mary Soames, Baroness Soames

Mary Soames, Baroness Soames
Name	Mary Soames, Baroness Soames
Caption	Mary Soames in 2005
Birth name	Mary Spencer-Churchill
Birth date	15 September 1922
Birth place	Chartwell, Kent, England
Death date	31 May 2014
Death place	London, England
Spouse	Christopher Soames (m. 1947; died 1987)
Children	5, including Sir Nicholas Soames
Parents	Winston Churchill, Clementine Churchill
Occupation	Author, public servant
Known for	Youngest child of Winston Churchill, Auxiliary Territorial Service officer, author, philanthropist

Mary Soames, Baroness Soames was the youngest child of British statesman Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine Churchill. A notable figure in her own right, she served with distinction in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War, became a respected author and biographer, and was a dedicated supporter of numerous charitable and cultural institutions. Her life spanned the tumultuous twentieth century, during which she witnessed and participated in many of its pivotal events from a unique vantage point.

Early life and family

Mary Spencer-Churchill was born at the family home of Chartwell in Kent. She was the fifth and last child of Winston Churchill and Clementine Hozier, joining siblings Diana, Randolph, Sarah, and Marigold. Her early years were spent between Chartwell, the official residence at Admiralty House, and Chequers. Her education was largely conducted by governesses, though she briefly attended the Notting Hill and Ealing High School. The Churchill family was deeply political, and her childhood was marked by the intense atmosphere of her father's career, including his period in the political wilderness during the 1930s.

Marriage and children

In 1947, she married Captain Christopher Soames, a Coldstream Guards officer and future Conservative politician. The wedding took place at St. Margaret's, Westminster with her father, then Leader of the Opposition, giving her away. The couple had five children: Arthur, Emma, Jeremy, Charlotte, and Nicholas. Her husband's career saw him serve as a Member of Parliament, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia, before being created a life peer as Baron Soames. Their marriage was a close partnership until his death in 1987.

Second World War service

During the Second World War, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1941. She trained as an anti-aircraft gunner and served in mixed batteries across London, Portsmouth, and Belgium. She rose to the rank of Junior Commander, equivalent to a Captain. Her service allowed her to be near her father during critical moments, including the D-Day landings and the later Allied advance. She was present at pivotal wartime conferences, including the Tehran Conference and the Second Quebec Conference, acting as an aide to her parents.

Public life and charitable work

Following the war, she became a prominent figure in public and charitable life. She served as a Justice of the Peace in London and was a devoted supporter of the arts. She was a long-serving trustee of the Royal National Theatre and a governor of the Royal Ballet School. Her patronage extended to the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge, and the Imperial War Museum. She was also president of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and actively supported the Red Cross. Her work for the National Trust helped preserve her childhood home, Chartwell.

Later years and death

In her later years, she focused on writing and historical stewardship. She authored several acclaimed works, including the biography *Clementine Churchill*, which won the Wolfson History Prize in 1979, and *A Daughter's Tale*, a memoir of her wartime experiences. She was appointed a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter in 2005. Mary Soames, Baroness Soames, died peacefully at her home in London on 31 May 2014, at the age of 91. Her funeral was held at the Church of St. Martin, Bladon near Blenheim Palace, where she was interred alongside her husband and near her parents.

Honours and legacy

She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1980 and was created a life peer as **Baroness Soames, of Fletching in the County of East Sussex** in 1980, taking her seat in the House of Lords as a Crossbencher. Her highest honour was appointment as a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter in 2005. Her legacy is preserved through her literary contributions, which provide intimate insights into the Churchill family, and her enduring philanthropic impact on British cultural and heritage institutions. The Soames family remains active in British public life.

Category:1922 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Children of prime ministers of the United Kingdom Category:British biographers Category:Members of the Order of the Garter Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II