Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue

Winston Spencer Churchill, referred to as “Winston” throughout Kingmaker, was Pamela’s only son. Winston was born amid the Blitz at Chequers on October 10, 1940. He is the son of Randolph Churchill and grandson of the statesman Winston Churchill. As portrayed in the biography, Winston was often neglected as a young child. Soon after he was born, his mother returned to her work advocating for US military support of the UK war effort, and his father was deployed with the military. Winston was often sickly. He craved his mother’s attention and is reported to have said, upon seeing a car arrive, “Perhaps that has come to take the generals off and then you can have tea with me” (117). As he was “almost entirely raised in the company of adults,” young Winston was “precocious” (109). As is typical of boys of his class in the UK, he was sent to boarding school from a young age.

As an adult, Winston had a tense relationship with his mother, Pamela. He came to adopt “Randolph’s claims that he had been unfairly persecuted” by Pamela (223). His political career faltered, not least because of his right-wing views. Their political differences created tensions, such as, for instance, when Winston supported the white separatist state of Rhodesia while his mother supported Nelson Mandela. He depended on his mother’s money, and this was “both welcomed and resented by Winston” (319). He did ultimately become an MP in the English parliament, but he never ascended to a leadership position. When Winston divorced his wife, Minnie, after years of affairs, Pamela supported his wife in the divorce and left half of her estate to Minnie, enraging Winston.

Randolph Churchill was Pamela’s first husband. He was the only son of British statesman Winston Churchill. In Kingmaker, Randolph is portrayed in an overwhelmingly negative light. Purnell emphasizes his boorish behavior, conservative and misogynistic views, and heavy dependence on alcohol. His cousin, Clementine Mitford, felt Randolph had an “Oedipus complex betrayed by the fact that every woman he fell for looked like his mother” (44). Pamela agreed to marry him on their first date out of a desire to be attached to the powerful Churchill family and due to her fear that she would not find a husband. Several people attempted to dissuade Pamela from this decision, including her parents.

Once married, Randolph proved his worst detractors were right. He neglected his wife and child in favor of drinking and having affairs. He was verbally and, potentially, physically abusive of Pamela. He engaged in outrageous behavior, such as having Pamela cover the costs of expensive gifts he purchased for other women. He pursued military glory in vain and was seen as a ridiculous laughingstock by his military peers. Due to his volatility, his parents sidelined him from their political projects in favor of Pamela. As World War II came to a close, he agreed to divorce Pamela. Their divorce was finalized in 1946. He later remarried June Osborne, whom he also abused.

After their divorce, Randolph cultivated a relationship with their son, Winston. He encouraged Winston to accept his negative view of Pamela as his own. This greatly hurt Pamela.

Averell Harriman was an American statesman and heir to the Harriman railroad fortune. His wife, Marie, was a renowned art collector. When Pamela was in her 20s, she was encouraged to have an affair with the married statesman who was in the UK to negotiate American support for the UK fight against the Axis powers of World War II under the Lend-Lease program. Despite his “Victorian” affect, 20-something Pamela felt the nearly 50-year-old Averell was “the best-looking man she had ever seen” (82). Pamela used her influence over him to secure US support for the UK. Averell’s daughter, Kathy, was used as “cover” for their relationship. Pamela was disappointed when Averell was sent to Moscow on a diplomatic mission. They later had a falling out when Averell criticized Pamela’s “fast” lifestyle. Averell served a single term as governor of New York during this period, but he was recognized as “more of a statesman […] he wasn’t prepared to play politics” (258). He served as a statesman under the Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy administrations.

Pamela and Averell reconnected at a dinner party in Washington, D.C., nearly 15 years later, after both of their spouses had died. They quickly rekindled their relationship, and they married in 1971 when Averell was 80 years old. Averell’s hearing and health had declined, but he and Pamela had a close and loving relationship. Pamela used Averell’s political connections, as well as her own, to enter Washington politics as a fundraiser and political organizer. He could be “old-fashioned” and unpleasant, especially as his cancer advanced, but he adored Pamela and described their marriage as the best decision he had ever made. After his death, it was discovered that his fortune had been mismanaged, leading to lengthy legal battles and personal tensions between Pamela and his children, Mary and Kathy. In 1997, shortly after Pamela’s death, Van Gogh’s White Roses was gifted to the National Gallery “in memory of Averell Harriman.”

Gianni Agnelli was the heir to the Fiat fortune and Pamela’s lover in the 1950s. They met in the French Riviera in 1948, and Pamela quickly became part of his fast-paced, hard-partying lifestyle. Gianni was facing difficulties after World War II, as Fiat was closely connected to the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini. Pamela decided “to make Gianni and Fiat her new political project” (172). She used her wartime connections and hostessing skills to connect Gianni to important American and British figures to improve his reputation. Her work paid off when the CIA used Fiat as a conduit for anti-communist efforts in post-war Italy. Gianni “repaid” Pamela with lavish gifts, including an apartment in Paris and a Bentley.

Pamela wanted to marry Gianni. She converted to his religion, Catholicism, and had her first marriage formally annulled by the Vatican. However, their relationship began to fray as Pamela tired of his “cocaine-fueled carousing sessions” (162). Gianni grew increasingly distant after Pamela had an abortion around the time she turned 30. Gianni’s family eventually intervened in their relationship. They insisted that Gianni marry an Italian woman. In 1953, he married Princess Marella di Castagneto.

Even after their split, “Gianni’s relationship with Pamela was enduring” (181). They spoke by phone every morning and remained close when Averell’s health declined, although Pamela “never spoke about the full nature of her relationship with Gianni” (276). Purnell speculates Pamela “was still in love with the Italian” (276).