Leaders reflect on Churchill’s early hours visits to Roosevelt

Rishi Sunak vowed not to bother Joe Biden in the way the UK’s wartime leader had pestered the then US president.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (left) attends a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire)

Rishi Sunak joked that he would not be “bothering” the US president during his stay in the president’s guest house as Winston Churchill was said to have done.

The Prime Minister said it was a privilege to stay in Blair House, adding that “the spare room in the flat in Number 10 Downing Street doesn’t quite compare”.

Joe Biden referenced Winston Churchill’s visit to the White House as he held talks with the Prime Minister in the White House.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Mr Biden told the Prime Minister “there’s an awful lot of stories that are told” about the UK wartime leader’s visits to the White House.

Mr Sunak is staying at Blair House, which the US government started using as official diplomatic housing after Churchill reportedly once tried to enter President Franklin D Roosevelt’s White House private quarters at 3am, only to be stopped by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Referring to the story, Mr Sunak said: “Wandering around at three in the morning. Winston Churchill bothering Mrs Roosevelt.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t see me there bothering you and the First Lady.”