Few wives of prominent men are more than a footnote in many histories, but they were often central to their husbands’ lives. The classic well-known example is the relationship between the wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine (see episode 116).

For months Angus has been sitting on Stefanie van Steelandt’s biography of Mrs Patton, Lady of the Army: The Life of Mrs George S Patton. Following his look at George Patton in the last episode, he thought it was the opportune time to look at George’s wife Beatrice.