Britain marks 50 years since Churchill's funeral
Death of legendary wartime leader in 1965 was seen as the end of an era
Fifty years after Winston Churchill's death, Britain yesterday paid tribute to its wartime prime minister, who remains a touchstone of political life and a reminder of a faded age of global influence.
London's Tower Bridge was raised and the HMS Belfast warship fired a gun salute as the boat that carried his coffin up the River Thames in 1965 retraced its procession, with music from bagpipers on board.
Family members cast a wreath in the water at Westminster and Prime Minister David Cameron attended a memorial ceremony in front of a statue of the cigar-chomping leader inside the Houses of Parliament.
"His enduring legacy and influence on political life and British culture is testament to his formidable strength of character and remarkable achievements," Cameron said.
To this day, British politicians often evoke Churchill to add weight to their arguments, tapping into a deep attachment felt by many who lived through the second world war.
Cameron's Conservative colleague, London Mayor Boris Johnson, has just penned a biography entitled The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History.
"For many people he's not a historical figure - people continue to feel an emotional connection to him," said Richard Toye, a historian at the University of Exeter.