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[EWSoccer64]

". . . The Prime Minister Would Like to See You"

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Christmas of 1941 was a grim one in Washington, as all across the country,

Nevertheless, as well as various members of the Roosevelt family, the White House was hosting Winston Churchill and a number of other British dignitaries, and the President’s advisor and general factotum Harry Hopkins and his family, who were actually virtually permanent residents of the executive mansion.

Now Hopkins had a nine year old daughter, Diana.

Very late on Christmas Eve, when pretty much everyone had gone to bed, one of her parents knocked at the door of Diana Hopkins’ room and said, “Diana, the Prime Minister would like to see you.”

Rather frightened, she made her way to Churchill’s quarters.

When she was introduced to Churchill’s room, the Prime Minister, sitting up in bed in his dressing gown explained that he had summoned her because he was “a lonely grandfather who needs a little girl to hug” on Christmas Eve.

[Frank Lee Ruud]

Check out "Into the Storm".  It's an HBO movie about Churchill during the war.  I thought it was well done.