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The real story behind the Triangle of Sadness superyacht

When an unhinged captain, celebrity model couple and an elderly arms dealer find themselves on a luxury cruise ship, things take a turn for the worse in Ruben Östlund's Triangle of Sadness. As the glossy satire is released in theatres, we dive into the colourful history of the film's true star (no, not Woody Harrelson), the 99.15 metre superyacht Christina O .

Christina O is no stranger to celebrity fanfare. With classic lines and a trademark yellow funnel, some might say she was destined for the screen and even secured a role in Netflix drama The Crown , starring as the 121.95 metre Alexander , before landing the part of a luxury cruiser in the 2022 comedy Triangle of Sadness. Even in her early years she was often found in the company of A-listers. The former warship was famously rescued and rebuilt by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and her guest list reads like a who's who of Hollywood's finest, the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo and Grace Kelley having all graced her decks.

Spending $4 million on a yacht in the years of austerity after the Second World War seemed an act of frivolity by Onassis , but it was shrewd philosophy that underpinned what appeared to be a wasteful extravagance. The Canadian anti-submarine frigate HMCS Stormont , which he bought for its scrap value of $34,000 in 1954, was transformed into Christina O : a pleasure palace that vastly enhanced his status – and wealth – as film stars, politicians, bankers and businessmen answered his invitation to ‘come aboard’. 

What sets Onassis apart from the more patrician yacht owners of the day, who valued their privacy above all else, is that he virtually wrote the manual for today’s superyacht lifestyle. Espadrilled, tanned and always with an eye open beneath his sunglasses to the possibilities of a little publicity, he epitomised the roguish glamour of the mega-rich. Who didn’t aspire to a lifestyle that revolved around beautiful women, yachts and film stars? Yet, as a shrewd businessman, he was among the first to realise the potential of a yacht as a business tool. Who knows how many lucrative doors a few days’ hospitality aboard Christina O opened up for the man who began his career as a refugee from Turkish Anatolia with $250 in his pocket and a ticket to Argentina, where he made his first fortune.

Christina O was named after his first-born child, who inherited her father’s yacht at his death in 1975. However, with the memories of those carefree days perhaps too poignant, Christina donated her namesake to the Greek government in 1978, and a period of slow deterioration followed. Greece was in the hands of a left-wing regime, and the former plaything of a capitalist millionaire was embarrassing.

The yacht was rescued in 1999 by an Onassis family friend, John Paul Papanicolaou, who set about restoring her. The work was more extensive than first thought – 560 tonnes of new steel were required to replace corroded plating – but now with MAN diesels in place of her original steam turbines and many of her original fittings retained, she charters extremely successfully, her 17 cabins putting her into the exclusive mini-cruise liner market, a role that suits her perfectly.

Christina O has undergone numerous refits in recent years, which saw some mechanical and repair work undertaken, including careful restoration of her famous Minotaur mosaic swimming pool/dance floor. A new ‘Callas stage’ was also constructed and installed around the base of the funnel. Although there is an official concert room below – for events like the Maria Callas opera recitals that showcase the yacht’s links to the famous soprano – it was considered that in view of all the available Mediterranean sunshine going to waste, an alternative outdoor space would be a sound investment.

The most preserved areas are the Onassis Suite, the famous Ari’s Bar and the concert room. All guest cabins have been completely refurbished in similar style and still use the names of Greek islands, as accorded by Onassis. The pastel colour scheme in all of the cabins was selected by Jackie O and her choice of colour schemes and décor.

Ari’s Bar is one of the most historical parts of the Christina O . Engraved orca whale teeth provide places to hang a handbag, or hold on to, around the circumference of the bar, whose surface is still the original massive piece of timber from a sunken Spanish galleon. Similar orca teeth offer footrests on the stool columns, which are covered with the whale penis skin that Aristotle loved to tell his guests about.

Countless reams have been written about this famous yacht in gossip columns, scandal sheets, fashion magazines and yachting journals – probably more so than any other yacht afloat. Christina O is a celebrity in her own right and represents a golden age, an era of giants, from those who owned her to those who trod her decks and gave everlasting ambience to her interior spaces.

While she is truly an icon of her time, her legacy lives on both on and off the screen.

Christina O is available for charter with Morley Yachts from €700,000 per week.

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Christina O

• Amenities & Toys
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• + Shortlist

CHRISTINA O YACHT CHARTER

99.14m  /  325'3   canadian vickers   1943 / 2020.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

• 14 Convertible

Special Features:

• Iconic superyacht
• Mosaic swimming pool turns into dancefloor
• Original features faithfully restored
• English country manor house style
• Glamorous bar

CHRISTINA O is one of the most iconic motor yachts ever launched, best known for her grand interiors and unrivalled level of luxurious amenities.

Starting life in World War Two as a Canadian frigate, Christina O was purchased in 1954 by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who transformed her into the most luxurious private yacht of her time. She went on to host a wealth of illustrious guests, ranging from Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra to John F Kennedy and Winston Churchill.

Onassis epitomised the life of the superyacht elite, garnering a reputation as the original jetsetter, but following his death in 1975, Christina O fell into disrepair. Luckily, a meticulous restoration project led by a family friend of Onassis was completed in 2001 and, today, charterers can enjoy the resonance of her unique past with the ultimate in luxurious accommodation and on-board service.   

Exterior Design

Styled in the early fifties by Caesar Pinnau, the exterior of Christina O easily stands out among other superyachts on today’s charter market thanks to her distinctive clipper bow, long sheer line, rounded superstructure and dazzling white topsides, and this is not forgetting her trademark, vibrant yellow funnel. A variety of vast open-air spaces across Christina O offer a multitude of options for lounging and socialising. The top level of the yacht, known as the compass deck, is well-primed for sunning, with a line of chaise loungers and a bar, while the spacious promenade deck below features an aft spa pool, and alfresco dining and bar setup. Most impressive is the main deck, where Onassis’ swimming pool has been faithfully restored with its renowned Minoan bull and vaulter mosaic. What’s more, the bottom of the pool can be raised to form a dance floor.

Interior Design

Christina O’s expansive interior was completely gutted during her most recent refit, with notable artefacts salvaged and sensitively restored. Aftermost on the main deck is the Lapis Lounge, named after its original lapis fireplace, which remains in place, and decorated in the style of an English country manor house. The main deck is also home to a dining salon with a 24-seater table, and the Aris Bar, which boasts its original rope-covered bar, whale fang bar handles and whale-skin bar stools. A majestic atrium with a striking mosaic of the Onassis omega logo then allows guests to access the two further salons on the promenade deck above via a spiral staircase.

Guest Accommodation

Known as the Onassis Suite, the yacht’s master stateroom stretches across the forward section of the bridge deck and comprises three rooms: large sleeping quarters, a white Penteli marble bathroom and a book-lined study. The latter is oak-panelled and boasts the original onyx fireplace, while the bedroom is illuminated by authentic Baccarat crystal wall lights, adding to its elegance.  The other accommodation on board comprises 10 double staterooms on the main deck forward and eight convertible cabins on the lower deck.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

As well as her impressive lounging and dining facilities, Christina O also features a unique variety of leisure and entertainment facilities, particularly on her promenade deck. These include an oak-panelled library with green upholstered chairs and settees, and a huge saloon, boasting three large seating areas. This space can also serve as a ballroom, with a raised dais for the orchestra, as well as a cinema thanks to a drop-down screen and state-of-the-art sound system. There is also a glass-panelled gymnasium on board and a music room with a Steinway piano where the likes of Maria Callas and Frank Sinatra once performed.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin MAN engines, she comfortably cruises at 14 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 19 knots with a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles from her 329,000 litre fuel tanks at 10 knots. An on board stabilization system ensures comfort when underway.

Christina O has a good selection of water toys and accessories to entertain you and your guests whilst on charter. Principle among these is a Flyboard, experience flying in and out of the water with the latest in high adrenaline watersport. Also there is a waterslide for guests of all ages to enjoy. Take to the sea on a Jet Ski offering you power and control on the water. If that isn't enough Christina O also features towable toys, kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling equipment. Christina O features four tenders, but leading the pack is a Hacker Craft Limo Tender to transport you in style.

Why Charter Christina O

One of the most iconic superyachts available for charter, Christina O is distinctly steeped in stories of the rich and famous, who have once graced her decks. She is an ideal choice for those looking for an opulent charter vacation, enhanced with the ambience of a magnificent past. Plus, capable of accommodating 36 guests, she is perfect for larger parties set to experience the extraordinary lifestyle of the Onassis years.

Christina O is available upon request for charter this winter. She is already accepting bookings this summer for cruising in Bermuda and the Caribbean.

Luxury classic yacht Christina O is one of a kind, offering world-class onboard amenities coupled with an overflowing toy box full of the latest water sports gear for unforgettable yacht charters wherever you are.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for Christina O, please provide .

Christina O Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment Christina O has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

Christina O is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 1 x Hacker Craft Varnished Wood Limo Tender with 1 x Volvo 250 HP engine
• 1 x Zodiac Medline 3 RIB with 2 x 150 HP engines
• 1 x Zodiac Medline 2 RIB

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

APPROVED RYA WATER SPORTS CENTRE

Your family and friends could learn to use the water toys on your charter vacation onboard this luxury charter yacht. Motor Yacht Christina O is a certified RYA Training Centre yacht.

'Christina O' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€700,000 p/week + expenses Approx $760,000

High Season

€740,000 p/week + expenses Approx $803,500

Cruising Regions

Bermuda Caribbean Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, Saint Martin, St Barts Mediterranean Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Turkey

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Corsica, French Riviera, Ibiza, Mykonos, Sardinia, The Balearics, Virgin Islands

Winter Season

October - April

Please enquire .

Charter Christina O

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker or

On Board Review

As the former vessel of billionaire shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, the legendary 99m/325ft superyacht ‘Christina O’ set the scene for the original jetsetters of the late-1950s and, today, continues to be among the most world’s most famous yachts.

Follow in the footsteps of the original jet-setters aboard Christina O

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Vintage photos show what it was like to party alongside celebs, royals, and politicians on Jackie and Aristotle Onassis' iconic yacht in its glamorous heyday

• Aristotle and Jackie Onassis owned a superyacht named the Christina and frequently entertained an impressive list of guests aboard the ship.
• The infamous couple's social circle included Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, as well as political and royal dignitaries.
• The luxury yacht can now be rented for $100,000 per day and is outfitted to host extravagant parties.

Jackie O's yacht parties were always invite-only.

Already a national name as former First Lady of the United States  — and a legendary fashion icon — Jacqueline Kennedy gained media attention when she started dating wealthy shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. She began frequenting his superyacht with her children in the 1960s.

Aristotle Onassis purchased the vessel — originally a convoy escort called the Stormont — at scrap value, turning it into his floating mansion, which he called the Christina. For almost two decades, the yacht served as a meeting place, a reception hall, and the " world's most exclusive bar ."

Read more : Take a look at the glitzy yacht once owned by Jackie O that's been the scene of huge celebrity parties, has 17 cabins, and can now be rented for $100,000 a day

Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy Onassis regularly entertained an elite social group aboard their legendary superyacht following their wedding in 1968 . The reception — like so many other events — was held aboard the Christina.

Notable guests over the years included a long list of Hollywood stars, from Elizabeth Taylor to Marilyn Monroe . Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, and Richard Burton also visited, alongside royalty such as the Prince and Princess of Monaco.

Today, the luxury yacht can be rented for $100,000 per day . With 17 cabins, the ship remains one of the few yachts able to accomodate 34 overnight guests. Additionally, the Christina O is capable of carrying up to  157 guests while cruising  and up to  250 guests while docked .

Keep reading for a look at some of the exclusive gatherings the couple hosted aboard the Christina, from a lunch with Winston Churchill to Jackie O's own wedding.

After purchasing a convoy escort in 1954, shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis spent over $4 million transforming the vessel into a luxury yacht he called the Christina.

Source : Valef Yachts

Once renovations were complete, Onassis used the ship as an office, residence, and private entertainment venue.

Named after his only daughter, Aristotle and Jackie Onassis spent much of their leisure time aboard the Christina ...

Source : Getty , Robb Report

... often using the ship to vacation with their children.

Source : Getty

Alongside the notable Onassis and Kennedy families, the Christina hosted many well-known guests that were a part of the couple's elite social circle.

Among those guests are many with easily recognizable names, as indicated by a vintage passenger list.

Celebrities frequented intimate gatherings ...

... including Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton ...

Source : Business Insider , Valef Yachts

... and actor John Wayne.

Source : Business Insider , Valef Yachts , CNN

The ship also doubled as the banquet hall for Aristotle and Jackie Onassis' wedding reception.

Source : Getty , TIME

Following an intimate ceremony on his private island Skorpios, the newlyweds boarded the ship with their family and friends.

Source : TIME

Her reception was just one of the countless high-caliber parties Jackie hosted ...

Source : Getty , CNN

... and it included guests such as her socialite sister Princess Lee Radziwill and brother-in-law, Lithuanian Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł.

Source : The Guardian

Other notable dignitaries over the years included Princess Grace of Monaco ...

... alongside President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Churchill frequented the boat on numerous occasions ...

... alongside famous opera singer Maria Callas and her then-husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini. Today, one of the ship's restored lounges bears her name.

Source : Getty , New York Times

• Main content

In pictures: all aboard iconic superyacht Christina O

Her storied history includes serving in WW2 and hosting Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly’s wedding reception 

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The superyacht Christina O did not start her life on the seas as a playground for the rich and famous. Constructed in 1943 by Montreal-based shipbuilder Canadian Vickers, the 99m Canadian frigate - originally called HMCS Stormont - was first used to serve in the Second World War and was present at the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944.

Yacht buying guide: all you need to know when purchasing a superyacht Review: Lamborghini takes to the seas

Acquired in 1954 by Aristotle Onassis, it was the Greek billionaire shipping magnate that transformed the Stormont into one of the world’s most luxurious superyachts . Renamed after his daughter, Onassis spent $4m on the refurbishment of a ship that would become an elite and exclusive entertainment destination.

From John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Winston Churchill to Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy, who Onassis later married, Christina O hosted some of the world’s most influential people during her glory years. The wedding reception of Monaco’s Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly was also held on board, while legendary Hollywood couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were regular guests.

Today the Christina O can be hired for corporate events and be chartered for private use. Charter prices start from €560,000 (£492,900) a week in low season to €630,000 (£554,700) a week in high season. See morleyyachts.com

‘Greatest yacht of them all’

After a number of refits, the ship has been meticulously restored. It can sleep up to 34 guests who can enjoy the same luxury experienced by the famous visitors of yesteryear. Designed to the highest standard, Onassis’s “unique taste is everywhere”, says Boat International magazine. Christina O is regarded by many as the “greatest yacht of them all”.

Swimming pool

One of the highlights aboard the superyacht is the beautiful swimming pool. Designed with a tiled bull mosaic, the pool can turn into a dance floor at the flip of a switch.

Jacuzzi deck

Relaxation is the top activity on the Christina O. As well as the Jacuzzi deck (pictured) the ship also has an indoor air-conditioned gym and a spa which offers beauty treatments and massages.

Callas Lounge

The surroundings inside the yacht are as plush as the exteriors. The Callas Lounge (pictured) is named after the American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas. Regarded as one of the influential opera singers of the 20th century, it’s said that her “opera notes still play in the Callas Lounge”.

Ari’s Bar

The legendary Ari’s Bar is christened in tribute to Aristotle Onassis himself as “this was one of his favourite places in which to enjoy a drink”, says Yacht Charter Fleet .

Ranked 56 in the Top 100 Largest Yachts in the World list, Christina O is the “epitome of elegance and luxury”, says Superyachts.com . “Its capacious deck can host up to 250 guests beneath extensive canopies, perfect for a special occasion or one-off corporate incentive.” Other amenities include the Galaxy Bar on the Compass deck and the large Jacuzzi on the Promenade deck.

Onassis’ Suite

The expansive and luxurious Onassis Suite is situated on the bridge deck and holds a spacious bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and a private en-suite lounge, says Superyachts.com .

Spiral staircase

Christina O’s elegant marble-railed spiral staircase covers three decks and at the bottom is the floor depicting Onassis’ Omega emblem.

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Mike Starling is the digital features editor at The Week, where he writes content and edits the Arts & Life and Sport website sections and the Food & Drink and Travel newsletters. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon. 

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The Statesman, the Magnate, and the Original 'Superyacht'

Inside greek shipping magnate aristotle onassis' famed “superyacht” the christina—and the story of its most esteemed artwork, a newly rediscovered painting by sir winston churchill..

Aristotle Onassis' yacht, the Christina . (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Written by Andrew Paine Bradbury

With news breaking this spring that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is commissioning a $500 million, 417-ft superyacht—and that it won’t even be the largest in the world—it’s safe to say we’ve passed the golden age of yachting and have firmly entered the Baroque period. And though Bezos’s behemoth will surely have every bell and whistle a modern billionaire could ask for, it’s doubtful it will ever attain the style, the star-wattage or the place in the popular imagination held by the world’s first superyacht, Aristotle Onassis’ Christina . As a boat, the 325-ft Christina was never lacking in size. But as a symbol of a more glamorous and halcyon era, it looms much larger. This month, one of the Christina ’s greatest treasures—an original oil painting by Sir Winston Churchill—will hit the auction block at Phillips.

The Moat, Breccles , which Churchill gifted to the Greek shipping magnate around the summer of 1961, was thought to have been lost. Recently discovered by the Onassis family, the impressionistic landscape will be auctioned in New York on June 23 as part of Phillips’ 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale . “It’s an exceptional painting,” says Jean-Paul Engelen, Phillips’ Deputy Chairman and Worldwide Co-Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, “that comes with an exceptional story, and celebrates an exceptional friendship. We are all inspired by world history and art history, but it’s only on rare occasions that these two things come together so spectacularly in one painting.” Previously, the only way to have seen the painting was to have been one of the lucky guests aboard Onassis’ famed Christina .

The most beautiful structure I have seen afloat. —Sir Winston Churchill, in a letter to his wife Clementine, February, 1956

Originally the HMCS Stormont , a Canadian, WWII-era anti-submarine frigate that aided the Allies during the Normandy landing, the vessel was purchased by Onassis for the scrap value of $34,000. After a $4 million renovation, it was rechristened the Christina , in honor of Onassis’ daughter. Aboard the yacht, Onassis entertained countless luminaries and dignitaries from the worlds of politics, business, and the arts, including Franklin Roosevelt, John and Jackie Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Ava Gardner, J. Paul Getty, Eva Perón, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and many more. “I don’t think there is a man or woman on earth who would not be seduced by the pure narcissism shamelessly flaunted on this boat,” Burton said, obviously one of the seduced. Ironically, one might say that the seafaring Christina symbolized “the jet set” far more than any actual plane.

It was a heart-stoppingly glamorous affair, boasting a Minotaur-themed mosaic swimming pool that could be drained and turned into a raised dance floor at the touch of a button, a dazzling blue lapis lazuli wood-burning fireplace in one of the indoor lounges, a children’s dining room hand-painted by Madeline illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans, frescoes by Marcel Vertes, an office with a Louis XV desk, marble bathtubs, an elevator, 42 telephone lines, and a landing pad for Onassis’ Piaggio seaplane.

A spiral staircase connected the various decks that were flush with indoor and outdoor areas to relax and entertain. There were ten impeccably appointed staterooms (not counting Onassis’ lavish suite), a library, a salon, a plush den and the intimate Ari’s Bar, which at that time was probably the most exclusive boîte in the world. The staff was roughly the size of an army battalion and equally well-trained. Someone had to empty all those gold and silver ashtrays.

Aristotle Onassis at the circular counter of "Ari's Bar" aboard his yacht, the Christina . Montecarlo (Principality of Monaco), June 1961. (Photo by Carlo Bavagnoli/Mondadori via Getty Images)

Jamie Niven, a senior advisor to the CEO of Phillips and the son of the Academy Award-winning British actor David Niven, bore witness to the luxury of the Christina when he was a teenager living in the south of France. “Until he and [Prince] Ranier had a falling out, the Christina was always in the Monaco harbor,” Niven says. “It was by far the biggest boat.” As a friend of Onassis’ son Alexander, Niven was invited aboard on multiple occasions and saw firsthand the transformation of the pool into a dancefloor. “These sailors would rush out with rags and mop the surface of the pool,” he says, “and so you’re dancing on the surface of the pool. It was all looking great: the furniture, the waiters running around. It was very glam, and very impressive to an 18-year-old, I can tell you that.”

The yacht was a total reflection of Onassis’s personality: the strive for perfection, the unabashed pleasure-seeking, and his notorious ribald streak. Indeed, the most infamous feature of the Christina were the barstools in Ari’s Bar that were upholstered with the foreskins of minke whales. And though it was called “the height of opulence” by no less than the former King Farouk of Egypt, there was one detail of the Christina that Onassis was most proud to show off to his guests—an oil painting by Sir Winston Churchill, gifted by the man himself as a token of appreciation for time spent cruising the Medditerranean and Carribean seas.

As always, I greatly enjoyed your company and your hospitality. —Sir Winston Churchill, in a letter to Aristotle Onassis, May, 1962

Churchill and Onassis struck up a fast friendship, having met at the famed La Pausa villa in the south of France. (Originally designed and built by Coco Chanel, La Pausa was bought by Churchill’s publisher, the Hungarian emigré Emery Reves). The two titans shared a love for the finer things in life and the mechanizations of global power; it was on these two points their mutually beneficial relationship was founded. Onassis had the honor of hosting the elder statesman of European liberal democracy and Churchill—who could never be called destitute, but whose appetite for the good life always tested the limits of his own finances—got to enjoy the lifestyle of the .0001%.

Winston Churchill and Aristotle Onassis arriving on the Christina . (Getty Images)

“There were all these photographs of Churchill sitting on the stern, with a cigar,” Niven says. “They were published all over the world. Onassis must’ve loved the fact that he had Churchill on his boat. It was a statement. It’s no different than today. People try to invite famous people on their yacht. [Onassis’ rival and fellow Greek shipping tycoon Stavros] Niarchos didn’t have Churchill on his boat.”

But despite this seemingly symbiotic nature, the two men, by all accounts, genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, and their correspondence reveals great warmth and affection between them.

Onassis went above and beyond to ensure that Churchill—who was in his 80s during the eight cruises he took aboard the Christina from 1958 to 1963—was comfortable during their voyages. He would give up his own suite for Churchill to stay in while he was aboard, a luxury that was afforded to no other guest. And of course there was the limitless supply of champagne, caviar, martinis, brandy, and cigars for Churchill to enjoy. And by all accounts, he enjoyed them with his typical gusto.

Churchill, in turn, was grateful for the hospitality. A letter from Churchill to Onassis from December, 1960 reads: “My dear Ari, I am most grateful to you for sending the beautiful cigar case and for the trouble you have taken with the inscription. I admire it greatly, and it reminds me of that wonderful and sunny cruise to the West Indies. You have done so much to make my travels abroad happy and enjoyable and I am indeed indebted to you. I shall think of you whenever I take a cigar from the case. Yours, WSC”.

He showed Onassis his gratitude with a gift of his own—an original artwork. An avid painter for the last 50 years of his life, Churchill produced some 500 canvases in his lifetime and began gifting them after 1950 as a sign of particularly close friendship and admiration to the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and others. Prior to that Churchill had said of works that “they are too bad to sell and too dear to me to give.” Despite the self-effacing estimate, they really were dear to Churchill, and to be the recipient of one was the sign that you meant a great deal to him. Besides, what else could one gift a man like Onassis, who had, as the saying goes, everything.

Just to paint is great fun. —Sir Winston Churchill, “Painting as a Pastime”

The painting in question is an evocative landscape that depicts a wooded area bisected by the moat that borders the eastern edge of the south lawn at Breccles Hall, a 16th-century Elizabethan manor house located in Norfolk, England and the 20th-century home of Venetia Montagu, the cousin of Churchill’s wife, Clementine. The Moat, Breccles was originally painted in 1921 and was prominently featured in Churchill’s personal essay “Painting as a Pastime” that was published in the December 1921 issue of The Strand magazine. (A pretty stellar issue if you can get your hands on it, featuring original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle and PG Wodehouse, as well as a companion essay to Churchill’s titled “Singing as a Profession” by the great Enrico Caruso).

In the essay, Churchill relates how painting came into his life at one of his darkest moments. In 1915, he was ousted from his post as Lord of the Admiralty (the political head of the Royal Navy) following the disastrous Gallipoli campaign and given a token bureaucratic job as the Chancellor of Lanchester, an awful blow to a man of Churchill’s talents and bluster. Despondent, he found the surrounding gloom lifted when his sister-in-law suggested he join her painting in the garden. “And then it was that the Muse of Painting came to my rescue — out of charity and out of chivalry,” he wrote. He went on to extoll the benefits of having a creative hobby and how far they outweigh the pleasures one might find in traditional pursuits such as hunting, billiards or golf. “There will be sunshine there even in the winter-time,” he wrote, “and cool shade, and the play of shadow on the path in the shining days of June.”

Property from the Onassis Family Collection, Sir Winston L.S. Churchill, The Moat, Breccles , circa August 1921. Estimate: $1,500,000-2,000,000.  20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale .

Though he never advanced beyond amateur status as a painter, his work could hardly be called middling. Inspired by Impressionists like Monet and Cézanne, he possessed a keen sense of color and a strong sense of place. Surveying Churchill’s work in 1982, the president of the Royal Academy of Arts, Sir Hugh Casson, called him, “an amateur of considerable natural ability who, had he had the time [to study and practice] could have held his own with most professionals … especially as a colourist.” Of course, winning a World War tends to limit one’s time for study and practice.

In recent years, the value of these works has increased greatly—multiple paintings, including “The Goldfish Pond at Chartwell” have fetched seven figures at auction—and interest in his art has never been greater. The popularity of Netflix’s The Crown , which featured several scenes of John Lithgow’s Churchill, besmocked with brush in hard, has played no small part. And while Churchill’s artistic endeavors will never outshine his political accomplishments and legendary oratories, they provide key insight into one of the most towering figures of the 20th century.

“I think this heightened sense of observation of Nature is one of the chief delights that have come to me through trying to paint,” Churchill wrote, and it is with that heightened sense that he painted The Moat, Breccles . From his eyes to his hand and his brush and then onto the canvas, before traveling through the pages of the Strand all the way to the walls of the salon aboard the grandest yacht in the world, trailing with it a history that spanned from the bloody aftermath of WWI to the go-go optimism of the jet-set ‘60s.

After Aristotle Onassis’ death in 1975, his daughter Christina inherited the namesake yacht and later gave it to the Greek government to use as a presidential yacht before her own untimely death. The yacht fell into disrepair and could have easily met a scrapyard fate. However it was rescued and (quite extensively, as well as expensively) refurbished to its former glory by Onassis family friend and fellow shipping magnate John Paul Papanicolaou in 2011. The minotaur-themed swimming pool still turns into a dancefloor, and it’s currently available to charter for the handsome sum of about $650,000 per week.

Original Churchill landscape not included.

Andrew Paine Bradbury is a writer and musician based in New York City.

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Inspired by Sir Winston Churchill's painting The Moat, Breccles , discover the music from Ari’s Bar aboard the yacht Christina in celebration of our New York 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale.  

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new york   23 June 2021

How Aristotle Onassis Designed the World's First Superyacht

By Toby Skinner

Before the Christina O , the superyacht as we know it wasn’t a thing.

But in 1954, shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis happened upon a slender, elegantly shaped anti-submarine frigate that had served at the D-Day landings, and paid its scrap value of $34,000. What happened next was typical of the Golden Greek: Naming the boat after his daughter, he spent almost $4 million creating the original floating pleasure palace, adding revolutionary touches like a helipad and the mosaic-tiled bottom of the seawater pool that would rise to become a dance floor at the touch of a button.

Soon Frank Sinatra was playing the Steinway or flirting with Marilyn Monroe on barstools made of whale foreskins at Ari’s Bar—where Winston Churchill is said to have thought that a young John F. Kennedy was a waiter when they first met in the mid-1950s. For all that went down on the 325-foot Christina O, the ship itself was influential, providing a blueprint for both design and hedonism to a generation of superyachts, especially those of fledgling boat designer Jon Bannenberg, whose interior design of Talitha G for the Getty family owed a debt to this original. After Onassis’s death, in 1975, Christina Onassis (shown above, at age 3, on board) donated her namesake to the Greek government, and the ship was allowed to decay until a 2001 overhaul, followed by another restoration 15 years later. Now it’s available to rent—if only those Spanish-galleon-timber walls could talk.

The Christina O can be chartered for $624,500 a week through Morley Yachts .

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Jackie and Aristotle Onassis's Former Yacht Is Available to Rent

The luxury ship was frequented by the likes of Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe.

Charter company Morley Yachts has made the ship available to charter , for a mere €740,000 a week ($814,133) during the high season. The Christina O's luxurious offerings include a main suite, 17 guest cabins with ensuite showers, a dining room for up to 40 guests, a swimming pool that converts to a dance floor, and more.

The boat's allure has been well-documented, having lured the likes of Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and more onboard. Actor Richard Burton once had a telling conversation about the yacht's power, per the Telegraph . "I don’t think there is a man or woman on earth who would not be seduced by the pure narcissism shamelessly flaunted on this boat," Burton said, to which Aristotle replied, "I have found that to be so."

When he described the Christina O himself, Aristotle tended to be blunt. "Madame," he would often tell women aboard, "You are sitting on the largest penis in the world."

The boat also hosted Jackie 's wedding to Aristotle in 1968, after which she'd be a frequent guest aboard the Christina O, until they divorced in 1975.

Recently, Christina O featured in the Triangle of Sadness , Ruben Östlund's Best Picture nominated film, and in The Crown season five , recreating Princess Diana and Prince Charles's 1991 trip to Italy .

The Christina O was acquired by new owners in 2023. "When people come on board Christina O they typically have an emotional reaction," Tim Morley, who runs Morley Yachts, told Robb Report . "People love it—and it affects almost everybody in this way, young and old."

Chloe is a News Writer for Townandcountrymag.com , where she covers royal news, from the latest additions to Meghan Markle’s staff to Queen Elizabeth’s monochrome fashions ; she also writes about culture, often dissecting TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Killing Eve .

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