The State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill 30 January 1965

The funeral of Sir Winston Churchill on 30 January 1965 was broadcast live on the BBC and seen around the world. It was the first state funeral of a politician in the century and the biggest national event since the Coronation of 1953. The BBC chose Richard Dimbleby as the sole presenter for over 4 hours of television coverage. Dimbleby’s grave and informed coverage was widely praised, and he received 1600 letters from viewers.