Tory MP Nicholas Soames describes reports of veterans’ outrage at the recasting of Blenheim Palace as Hitler’s HQ as ‘pathetic’ and ‘a completely manufactured row’

Sir Nicholas Soames, the Conservative MP for Mid Sussex and grandson of Winston Churchill, has defended the film-makers behind Transformers: The Last Knight for shooting scenes at Churchill’s former home, Blenheim Palace, which recast the site as Hitler’s headquarters.

Anger as Churchill's home turned into Hitler HQ for Transformers 5 Read more

Speaking to the Guardian on Monday, Soames described the fallout – prompted when photos emerged of the Palace draped in Nazi flags – as “a completely manufactured row” and “absolutely the most dismal, idiotic story I’ve ever read”.

“They do as all newspapers do,” said Soames of the initial story in the Sun, which quoted second world war veterans voicing their distaste. “They go until they can find some wretched veteran who is prepared to say, ‘Winston would be turning into his grave.’ They’ve no idea what my grandfather would have thought!”

The Sun quoted Tony Hayes of Veterans Association UK as saying that surviving ex-servicemen and women who fought in the second world war would be “appalled by this”, as well as Col Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan.

“I know it’s a film,” said Kemp. “But it’s symbolically disrespectful to Churchill. He will be turning in his grave.”



Soames rejected their scepticism, saying: “It’s preposterous. Why can’t they make a film at Blenheim 75 years after [the war ended]? It’s absurd. That’s all I have to say; it’s pathetic.”

Since the story broke, the film’s director, Michael Bay, has said he feels “Churchill would be smiling about The Last Knight”, as the film casts him as a hero.