Winston Churchill at Reid’s Palace in Madeira

Belmond Reid’s Palace in Funchal, Madeira.

“This tapestry is hand-painted, it’s old and expensive to maintain,” Zoe Barreto, the young PR manager at Reid’s Palace, told me.

We were in the presidential suite, where Winston Churchill stayed.

“It’s so beautiful!” I said admiringly, dragging my fingerprints across the smooth surface.

Winston and Clementine Churchill at Reid’s Palace in 1950.

It looked like a Chinese painting: delicate grey branches, leaves, and birds on a slightly golden background. It was made in England and transported to Madeira to cover the walls of the suite, whose decoration was the epitome of refinement. Bouquets of exotic plants from the garden also set a pleasant tone: orchids, anthuriums, and white and pink roses.

The Churchill Suite at Reid’s Palace.

Leaving the suite, and as we went to have our tea, Zoe told me that Churchill only stayed ten nights at Reid’s. He had hurried his return because of the upcoming elections in Great Britain, where he was re-elected Prime Minister. He left the island by seaplane, flying directly to Southampton

“Seaplane?” I asked as we sat on the terrace.

A seaplane landing in the bay of Funchal.

She held out her hand, pointing to the ocean in front of us.

“Oh, yes, it used to land there in the bay of Funchal,” she said. “The flights started after World War II and the seaplanes came straight from Southampton. Later, an airport was opened in neighbouring Porto Santo because the island is flat. Finally, in 1965, we also got an airport between the cliffs and the sea, a titanic project, it is true. Would you like some champagne before we have tea?”

“With pleasure,” I replied and saw the waiter holding a bottle of Moët & Chandon ready to pour it into our glasses.

The Reid’s Palace legendary terrace.

We smiled, winking at each other. First, the champagne brand promotion, and then the traditional English tea. Reid’s is now part of the Belmond Luxury Hotels group which is itself part by the LVMH that owns Moët & Chandon.

So, sipping champagne, we enjoyed Funchal’s magnificent view. Once, Reid’s Palace was cut off because there were no roads; today it is surrounded by buildings but it maintains its imposing position on the cliff.

The author on Reid’s Palace terrace with a stunning view of Funchal.

“That’s the magic of it,” Zoe said softly.

“Has the terrace always been there?” I asked her.

“Always. Since the hotel opened, tea has been served. It’s become an institution.”

Yes, of course. “I had tea at Reid’s” was written on almost every postcard sent from Madeira by his guests, those globetrotter travellers of another era, who spent their time from one legendary hotel to another: La Mamounia in Marrakech, Mena House in Cairo, Old Cataract in Aswan, Raffles in Singapore, Peninsula in Hong Kong.

Delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and homemade pastries, accompanied by a selection of 24 teas.

“When Reid’s opened and later during the interwar period,” Zoe continued, “the arrival of a ship was an exciting experience. There were no roads for guests to come here. We would send our boats to transport them. It wasn’t just one or two passengers. It was half the hotel!”

I imagined the ladies in fur collars, hats and gloves, boarding the boats with their eyes fixed on the pink hotel, which awaited them standing majestically on the cliff. Their destination was not Madeira but Reid’s itself.

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