Scruffy Coldplay rocker Chris Martin has an intriguingly posh hidden past - he's related to celebrated British wartime Prime Minister WINSTON CHURCHILL.

The CLOCKS hitmaker has gone to pains to keep his family history out of the public eye, but despite his own liberal leanings, it has emerged that Martin's parents ANTHONY and ALISON hold staunchly right wing political views.

And the family - who have an estimated $8.5 million (GBP5 million) fortune thanks to business and land deals - are surprisingly well connected in British CONSERVATIVE PARTY circles.

Martin's paternal cousins are the great-grandchildren of Churchill - whose work during the Second World War earned him a reputation as one of the finest leaders in British political history - and his paternal uncle DAVID used to be a Conservative MP. Martin's other uncle JULIAN - now deceased - also ran for office as a member of the TORY party.

The rocker, who is expecting his first child with Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, whom he reportedly married on Friday (05DEC03), is known for his liberal views, such as his constant campaigning for the MAKE TRADE FAIR organisation - but has previously said he does not share his parents' political views.

09/12/2003 14:05