The Last Lion. Volume 1: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932

Manchester, William

Dell, 1984

p. 254

Randolph Churchill was terribly spoiled by his father Winston (who had been abused as a boy). Some abusees abuse, and some spoil. Winston was a spoiler. Randolph, thus, “was a grim prospect for any bride, or, indeed, for anyone who crossed his path . . . . The constitution of one club had actually been amended to read: ‘Randolph Churchill shall not be eligible for membership . . . .’ He was a chain-smoker, and late in his life, when a tumor was discovered in his alimentary canal, many hoped for the worst. They were disappointed. It was benign. Lord Stanley of Alderly learned of the surgery while standing at the bar in White’s Restaurant. ‘What a pity,’ he said, ‘to remove the one part of Randolph that is not malignant.’”