Katherine Carter
Author, Historian and Curator
Katherine Carter is a curator and historian who has managed the house and collections at Chartwell, Churchill’s country home, for more than a decade.
A commentator and adviser on the life and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill, she lectures internationally and appears frequently in print and broadcast media.
Her first book Churchill’s Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm, was published by Yale University Press in September 2024.
She is available for talks, media appearances and tours. Click here to get in touch.
Latest interview
Katherine Carter presents the Orlin Russell Corey Memorial Lecture, exploring Winston Churchill’s life at Chartwell and the ideas behind her latest book.
International Lecturer
Katherine is a sought-after international lecturer, invited to speak at museums, universities, cultural organisations and public forums in the UK, Europe and the United States. Her talks blend deep historical knowledge with an accessible, engaging style, bringing to life the people, places and political forces that shaped the twentieth century. Whether addressing academic audiences or general readers, she is known for making complex history vivid, human and relevant. Her lecture work spans keynote addresses, panel discussions, festival appearances and specialist workshops, reflecting a global interest in her research and curatorial insight.
Published Author
Katherine authored 'Churchill’s Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm', which uncovers the remarkable story of Chartwell, Churchill’s country home, in the turbulent 1930s, when he was out of office and largely out of favour. During this period, he turned his Kent home into a centre of political discussion, strategic thinking and steadfast resistance. Drawing on access to archives from around the world, personal papers in private collections, and her unique insights into the running of Chartwell, she reveals how the house became a meeting place for politicians, diplomats, military personnel and influential thinkers who helped shape Churchill’s warnings about the growing threat in Europe. The book blends domestic detail with international drama and creates a vivid portrait of a statesman preparing for the storm ahead.
Critics have praised the book for its originality, depth and narrative clarity. Reviewers describe it as a treasure trove for Churchill enthusiasts, brilliantly researched, and a compelling and fresh look at the wilderness years. Many highlight her skill in connecting the intimate life of Chartwell with the global events being debated there and the extraordinary insights Churchill gleaned from the discussions within its walls.
“A brilliant idea, brilliantly done: not just the most original account of the build up to the Second World War you will read, but immensely entertaining as well.”
Tom Holland
Author of Pax and Co-host of The Rest is History, speaking about Katherine Carter's book Churchill's Citadel.
Expert Curator
Specialising in early twentieth-century political history, Katherine has curated a series of acclaimed exhibitions at Chartwell, including Churchill & The Crown, Death of a Hero, Into the Trenches. She has overseen the restoration of rooms at the Churchills’ country home that had never before been open to the public before. Her most recent redisplay, entitled Churchill: Image and Power, shows garments and uniforms worn by Churchill on groundbreaking new dynamic mounts, recreating his build, posture and gait, and showing previously-displayed as well as never-before-seen clothing of his in a whole new light.
Her expertise is widely recognised. She has been an advisor to museums and galleries on the subject of Winston Churchill, including Churchill in Cartoons: Satirising a Statesman at the Imperial War Museum and Winston Churchill: The Painter at the Wallace Collection.
She has been elected a Churchill Fellow of Westminster College in Fulton, MO, USA. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Media Contributor
A regular commentator on Churchill’s life and legacy, Katherine, appears frequently in print and broadcast media, and advises festivals, museums and film and television productions on the historical Churchill and the world around him.
