Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral marked 50 years on

THE boat which carried Sir Winston Churchill’s coffin along the Thames will make the journey again later to mark 50 years since his funeral.

The Havengore will carry members of his family to Westminster, as part of a day of events half a century after Britain’s wartime leader was buried.

Services will be held at the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

David Cameron said the UK owed a “debt of gratitude” to Churchill – a “great Briton” who must “never be forgotten”.

A remembrance service will be held at Parliament on Friday morning, with wreaths being laid.

Tower Bridge will be raised at 12:45 GMT as the Havengore repeats its 1965 journey from the Tower of London to Westminster.

A service will be held once it reaches the waters opposite the Palace of Westminster.

Westminster Abbey will host a ceremony from 18:00 GMT, with flowers laid at the green marble stone placed there in memorial to Churchill.Churchill’s grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames MP, said the Westminster events were a “fitting tribute” to his grandfather and a “strong reminder of all he did for his country”.

Emma Soames, Churchill’s granddaughter, added: “To me growing up he was a grandfather, but I came to realise at his death that he was so much more than that.

“The family are absolutely delighted that his life is being celebrated and his legacy expanded.”

Mr Cameron said: “Winston Churchill was not only a great leader, but a great Briton and his contribution to this country must never be forgotten – we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

“His enduring legacy and influence on political life and British culture is testament to his formidable strength of character and remarkable achievements.”BBC Parliament will broadcast the BBC’s original coverage of the funeral on Friday, starting at 09.15 GMT with timings to match those of the day itself.

The footage, narrated by Richard Dimbleby, has been re-mastered for broadcast.

From Friday, the National Railway Museum in York will display the locomotive – named Winston Churchill – which pulled his funeral train from London to Oxfordshire before his burial.

The carriages which carried the coffin and mourners will also be on show.