Two cigars linked to Sir Winston Churchill are expected to fetch £4,000 at auction. One is a half-smoked cigar that Churchill reportedly enjoyed more than six decades ago, while the other remains unused.

The pair are Dutch Claassen cigars, a brand favored by the former British prime minister. The partially smoked cigar gained historical significance after Churchill was photographed smoking it following a hospital stay in 1962. The photograph was taken shortly after Churchill broke his left hip when he fell out of bed during a holiday in Monte Carlo.

Churchill was admitted to Middlesex Hospital for treatment of the injury. After his recovery, he gave both the remnants of the smoked cigar and the unopened one to his bodyguard, Herbert “Nobby” Clark, who kept them as mementos.

The cigars are now being offered for sale through Hansons Auctioneers, with Charles Hanson, known from the television show Bargain Hunt, overseeing the sale. The auction is drawing attention for the blend of historical and personal significance attached to the items, reflecting Churchill’s enduring legacy.