In July, a private family dispute suddenly occupies the Churchills. Pamela Churchill becomes convinced that her baby will be a boy and decides that she wants to name him Winston Spencer Churchill after the prime minister.

The conflict begins when, that same month, the Duchess of Marlborough gives birth to a son and claims that full name for her own child. Because Pamela has not yet delivered, the duchess acts first, leaving Pamela angry, hurt, and feeling that the name has been wrongly taken.

Pamela goes to Churchill in tears and asks him to intervene. Churchill agrees with Pamela's view that the name properly belongs to him to bestow and that a grandson has a stronger claim to it than a nephew.

Churchill calls the duchess directly and bluntly tells her that the name is his and should be reserved for Pamela's future son. When the duchess objects that Pamela's child has not even been born and may not be a boy, Churchill dismisses the uncertainty, insisting that it will be a boy, or, failing that, the name will go to a later son. The dispute ends with the duke and duchess renaming their baby Charles.