Stéphane Valeri, President of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, hosted Randolph and Serena Churchill, descendants of Sir Winston Churchill, at the prestigious Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo on Saturday, September 21. The occasion marked the unveiling of a portrait by artist Michel Aubery in the hotel’s salon named after the former British Prime Minister, paying tribute to his legacy and connection to the renowned Monte-Carlo institution.
Sir Winston Churchill, a pivotal figure in the Allied victory in 1945, became a frequent guest at the Hôtel de Paris, where he stayed during his visits to Monaco until 1963. A lover of gaming and Cognac, Churchill left an indelible mark on the hotel’s history, the Monte-Carlo Casino, and the Hôtel de Paris wine cellars.
In 1945, in honor of Churchill, the Hôtel de Paris reopened a section of its wine cellar that had been sealed off in 1940 to protect its rarest bottles from wartime occupation. Churchill was treated to one of the finest pre-war Cognac Grande Champagne and sampled an extraordinary 1811 vintage “Roi de Rome,” which had been meticulously preserved throughout the conflict.
At the ceremony on September 21, Randolph Churchill, the great-grandson of Sir Winston, was joined by his daughter Serena Churchill, Reverend Hugh Bearn, who facilitated the event, and family friends Alison Barn and another guest. In a private ceremony, held in Sir Winston Churchill’s former office on the eighth floor of the Hôtel de Paris, Michel Aubery’s portrait of Churchill was revealed.
The portrait now resides alongside historical photographs in this exclusive, history-filled salon, celebrating one of the 20th century’s most iconic figures.
Featured image courtesy of Monte-Carlo SBM-Yann Sasportas
