On Saturday 30 January 1965, over three-quarters of the British population followed the State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill on BBC television and radio, while throughout the world, many millions of radio sets were tuned to the BBC’s External Services.
The BBC’s funeral coverage began at 9.20 am with Richard Dimbleby commentating in the BBC Central Control Room at St Paul’s Cathedral.
The funeral telecasts ended at 1.30 pm when the cortege reached Waterloo Station, from where Churchill’s coffin was transported by funeral train to the small railway station of Handborough for Blenheim in Oxfordshire, and then two miles to St. Martin’s parish church in the village of Bladon where the former prime minister was laid to rest.
Three hundred producers, cameramen, engineers and technicians participated in the broadcast. The operation cost a total of £200,000.
The programme was widely rebroadcast and televised in many countries, with relays to the United States and Canada, including live scenes when the satellite path became directly available.
ITV, meanwhile, offered more of a TV programme than an outside broadcast. Commentator Brian Connell was at Studio 9 in Television House, Kingsway, describing events on the TV screen.
Narrators Sir Laurence Olivier, Paul Scofield, and Joseph C. Harsch had prerecorded their contributions, including excerpts from Sir Winston’s speeches and books.
Recordings of Sir Winston’s voice were also heard at appropriate moments.
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