Douglas Hall, Imperial War Museum via AP A gold-painted ceramic figure of a seated bulldog with the head of Britain's World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill is among the items on display at the Imperial War Museum in London. Click photo for larger image.
	Associated Press A portrait of Winston Churchill made in 1940. Click photo for larger image.

LONDON -- Queen Elizabeth II opened officially opened a museum dedicated to Britain's World War II leader, Winston Churchill, that tries to give a fuller picture of the politician voted the greatest-ever Briton in a 2002 British Broadcasting Corp. poll.

Churchill is an iconic figure, renowned for his cigars, his speeches and his unshakable resolve. But, as he once said of Russia, he remains a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

The $11 million Churchill Museum is the first national exhibition to Britain's World War II leader and, its directors say, the first museum in Britain dedicated to a politician.

At last week's opening ceremony, the queen praised "the unique quality of his leadership that so inspired the British nation and free peoples throughout the world, as well as those suffering under Nazi occupation."

"That quality continues to inspire us today and should forever do so," she added.

Britons do not like to revere their political leaders. But Churchill, who led his country to victory in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany.

"He was a very remarkable man, a one-off," said David Reynolds, a Cambridge University historian who served as a consultant to the museum. "That means he was a difficult person. He had a lot of ideas, and some of them were pretty crazy."

The museum sits alongside the Cabinet War Rooms, the subterranean warren under Britain's Treasury from which Churchill directed Britain's fight against Nazi Germany.

The exhibition begins in 1940, when Britain stood alone against the Nazis and new prime minister Churchill offered "blood, toil, tears and sweat" in defense of his country.

It goes on to trace his galvanizing wartime role, his postwar rejection by voters, his 1950s' comeback as leader and his death at 90 in 1965, followed by a state funeral watched on television by 400 million people around the world.

From there, the museum then jumps back to Churchill's childhood as the son of an affluent, aristocratic politician; his early career as a soldier and journalist in India, Africa and Cuba; and the prewar rise and fall of his roller-coaster political career.

"We decided to begin with the war years, the V-for-victory signs, the rousing speeches," said Roger Mann, one of the museum's designers. "You start with what you know and then discover the real man beneath."

	Imperial War Museum via AP A cigar on display inside the new Churchill Museum in the Cabinet War Rooms at London's Whitehall. Click photo for larger image. Official museum Web site churchillmuseum.iwm.org.uk

Anticipating charges that the museum glorifies a complex and still controversial figure, museum director Phil Reed said the exhibits aim to show all facets of Churchill, from his inspiring leadership in war to his myriad misjudgments. In his early career he opposed votes for women and campaigned against self-rule for India.

"We don't pull our punches," said Reed. "We set out to avoid both hagiography and iconoclasm. We wanted to give a fully rounded view, and I think that's what we've achieved."

At the other extreme, some wonder why it has taken 40 years to create a museum to one of the 20th century's most important figures. Reed conceded there's a perception that Britons are less interested in Churchill than many in the United States. But he says the speed with which money was raised for the museum -- 6 million pounds ($11 million) from private donors in just over a year -- proves otherwise.

"I think the speed with which we raised the money demonstrates that the British are as interested in Churchill as anyone else," said Reed.

And, he added: "I think 40 years is a good period in which to judge whether somebody merits a museum, rather than saying, 'Let's put up a David Beckham museum.'"

In addition to photos and film footage _ some never seen before -- the museum's displays are rich in artifacts, many donated by the Churchill family. They range from the infant Winston's baby rattle and his less-than-glowing report cards ("improved ... but at times still troublesome") to the pajamas he wore while working in bed during wartime.

The museum's centerpiece is a collection of 1,500 documents and hundreds of photos, arranged on a large light table that allows visitors to scroll through Churchill's life almost day by day.

Reed said Churchill would have approved.

"He was quite keen on modern technology, even if he was not always that good at using it."

	John Maclean, Imperial War Museum via AP The original door to No. 10 Downing Street displayed next to a quote from Winston Churchill, inside the new Churchill Museum. Click photo for larger image.