Winston Churchill’s chewed cigar sells at auction

In a story from late last year that seems to have slipped under the radar in the run up to Christmas was the sale of Sir Winston Churchill’s chewed cigar at auction house Dukes Auctioneers in Dorchester.

The cigar was acquired by a nurse in 1962 at Middlesex Hospital in 1962, the enigmatic Prime Minister was admitted to the hospital after fracturing his hip falling out of bed in Monte Carlo whilst on holiday.

Under the orders of the then Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, he was transported by an RAF VC10 straight to Middlesex’s Woolavington Wing where he spent the next couple of weeks recuperating in privacy.

Whilst in the hospital Churchill contracted bronchitis and pneumonia, which led to thrombosis, but that didn’t stop his notorious cigar habit, which actually led to the cigar finally reaching an auction house in 2015.

A nurse took it from his bedside table before putting it in a bag marked “soiled dressings disposal” which she then passed on to her brother where it has been ever since.

The butt had been expected to fetch £1,000 but went for double the price when the hammer was finally slammed!

Timothy Medhurst, from Duke’s Auctioneers in Dorchester, said: “Churchill had already experienced many injuries, and to have such a devastating injury occur at such an old age was a threat to his stalwart ‘British bulldog’ image.”

The winning bid came from an online buyer, although Mr Medhurst said he did not know where in the world they were based.

If you wish to create your own memories and stories with cigars, visit Havana House where we stock all your favourite cigars alongside a wide selection of cigar lighters and ashtrays.

Photo By: British Government