02
September 2025

The unknown Churchill/Blenheim

Welcome to The Arts Society Vale of Aylesbury
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 - 13:45
St Peter & St Paul Church, Upton Road
Dinton Aylesbury HP17 8UF
Online Event

A comprehensive and insightful overview of Churchill's achievements drawing on private archives and resources. 

It is now over 150 years since Winston Spencer Churchill was born unexpectedly at Blenheim Palace. For this lecture, Antonia Keaney has been able to draw on Blenheim’s private archives and  resources, adding fresh insights into the great range of Churchills’s achievements – as
soldier, politician, artist and much more.

Antonia joined Blenheim Palace in 2008, becoming their Social Historian and Researcher. She has curated, or co-curated, a number of exhibitions and more recently produced a series of podcasts about the Palace. She is an experienced public speaker, broadcaster and author and is currently researching a book on Blenheim Palace and the Second World War.

THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Mrs Antonia Keaney

Antonia joined Blenheim Palace in 2008 as a member of the Education Team, later becoming the Palace’s Social Historian and Researcher. Both roles have involved her curating or co-curating a number of Palace exhibitions including A Passion for Fashion – 300 Years of Blenheim Style upon which her recent book is based.  

Antonia’s latest project has been to produce a series of podcasts - Behind the Scenes at Blenheim Palace - available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/18RwCp7lJVGaweiLYbG8m8

An experienced public speaker, both virtually and in person, Antonia has delivered a ‘Conversation’ at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, been ‘In Conversation’ with fashion editor Caroline Issa, designer Stephen Jones and TV and radio presenter, Sue Perkins, and has participated in both the Oxford Literary Festival where she presented her children’s book and more recently at Cheltenham where she chaired a discussion between authors Emma Soames and Rachel Trethewey on their respective Churchill related books.
 
Antonia has been a guest on Radio 4’s Saturday Live with the Reverend Richard Coles and has made various TV appearances including Channel 5’s sThe Cotswolds with Pam Ayres
 
In her spare time, Antonia enjoys the company of her family and her dogs – particularly Percy, a wire-haired Dachshund, who inspired her to write and illustrate her first children’s book – Percy at the Palace - A Dog’s Eye View of Blenheim