State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill; Ceremonial to be Observed at the Funeral; The Order of Service for the Funeral

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1965. 1st Edition. Soft cover. Fine. SCARCE PRESS RELEASE for the State Funeral of Winston Churchill, WITH FINE COPIES of "The Order of Service" and the "Ceremonial to be Observed". Churchill died on 24 January, 1965. "The funeral was six days later, the coffin having lain in state in Westminster Hall for the preceding three days. It was the first time since Gladstone in 1898 that any non-royal personage had been so treated" (Roy Jenkins). It has been said with only slight exaggeration that the whole word paid tribute to Churchill on January 30, 1965, for representatives from over 100 countries came to pay their respects, forming the largest gathering of dignitaries ever in Britain. Only the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 surpassed Churchill's funeral in the number of statesmen attending.

 The press release, with the strict note that it was "not for publication before 0001 hours Saturday, 30th January 1965" covers in minute detail every aspect of the funeral. The included charts illustrate the order of procession, the deployment in the New Palace Yard, and the arrival at St. Paul's. [London]: The Earl Marshal's Press Office, Ministry of Defence, 29 January, 1965. Eleven mimeographed 8x13 inch sheets (two page 10's) with three additional maps and diagrams on thicker stock. Stapled together in center. A remarkable survival- only very slight wear to edges and a few scattered spots. The "Ceremonial to be Observed", like the press release, outlines all the details of the service, while "The Order of Service" contains the readings and the prayers for the service. Both are elegantly printed on heavy paper stock by Her Majesty's Stationery Office and were designed to be distributed to attendees of the service. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1965. Decorated wrappers ("Ceremonial" is 10.5x7.25 in.; "The Order" is 7.25x5.25 in.). A few spots of soiling to rear wrapper of "The Order"; beautiful copies: extremely rare in such fine condition. All three items together in custom silk box.