Clementine Churchill, née Clementine Hozier, is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. Clementine is the daughter of Lady Hozier, and Clementine’s paternity is always in doubt. This insecurity in her childhood affects her deeply, and she attempts to act differently from her mother, who pursues pleasure above all else. Publicly and unquestionably loyal to Winston, even saving his life in Bristol, Clementine eventually learns to reevaluate her priorities. She learns to make room for her own needs and her own political voice, trying to find a balance between her mother’s perceived selfishness and her original deferral to Winston’s needs.

Before Winston, Clementine had two broken engagements. Her engagement to Winston also faces pressures, as she does not have the necessary gowns or accessories for the dinners at Lady St. Helier’s mansion or for the trip to Blenheim Palace, where Winston proposes. Always short on money, Clementine tutors in French and takes in needlework to supplement her meager household, revealing her resourceful and enterprising nature. After they marry, Winston and Clementine tour Italy, consummating their marriage and bonding over their similar childhoods. Marrying Winston requires maintaining a grand house with little money, as neither Clementine nor Winston possesses the yearly income required for official banquets and dinner parties.