A letter written by Winston Churchill to society beauty Muriel Wilson after she rejected his marriage proposal, has been sold for more than £9,000.

It is understood Miss Wilson spurned the war leader, who was born at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, because he talked about politics too much.

The letter, written in 1904, was sold by bookseller AbeBooks.

Spokesman Richard Davies said: "AbeBooks sells many letters written by famous people from history but very few of the letters contain such emotional text and address something so personal as a marriage proposal."

In the letter, the then 29-year-old Churchill said: "Of course, if you don't care about me at all, you are quite right.

"But it is a sad pity and a scattering of treasure.

"I love you because you are good and beautiful, and you may be perfectly certain that I am not going to change or try to change.

"On the contrary, the more I am opposed the more strength I shall feel – for I am not going to be thrust back into my grey world of politics without a struggle.

In 1908 Churchill married Clementine Hozier, granddaughter of the 10th Earl of Airlie and their marriage was long and happy.

Muriel Wilson was the daughter of a shipping magnate and went onto marry an Army officer.

Mr Davies said the letter was sold to a private buyer in the United States and was thought to have come from a number of letters from Churchill to Wilson sold at auction in 1994.