Celebrity Interview - ROYAL DRAMA
An insider's intriguing look at Britain's most famous family
ROYAL DRAMA An insider's intriguing look at Britain's most famous family
INGRID SEWARD – THE DOYENNE OF ROYAL FAMILY WRITERS − GIVES ANNABEL MILNES-SMITH A RARE ACCOUNT OF LIFE BEHIND THE PALACE GATES
It is not often that a journalist has the opportunity to interview a colleague as high-ranking as 55-year old Ingrid Seward. She is not only internationally renowned as one of the leading authorities on the British royal family but also, I am honoured to say, a great friend of mine. I was therefore absolutely delighted when she agreed to take time out of her busy schedule; at the time she was spending every waking hour reporting on the inquest into the death of Diana the Princess of Wales.
Of course, my opening question to Ingrid had to be: “Please, can you give me the inside track into the inquest of, in the historic word’s of Tony Blair, ‘The People’s Princess’?”
“As everybody knows, Mohamed Al Fayed is convinced that Dodi and Diana were involved in a plot, instigated in some way by the Duke of Edinburgh, to have them killed. That is very difficult to prove. Many people believe that they were killed by MI5 but very few believe that the Duke of Edinburgh was instrumental or that she was about to marry a Muslim. What they have got to prove is that Diana and Dodi were in love, about to get married, that she was pregnant, and the Duke of Edinburgh was involved. Now nothing so far has conclusively proved this. However, Mohamed has got an extremely smart and suave QC called Mike Mansfield who has been doing many of the cross examinations.
“For instance, when I was in court and they had Ken Wharfe, Diana’s protection officer, on the stand, he − a former police inspector − received a real grilling from Mansfield. He was trying to prove that Diana had, in fact, lost faith in Ken Wharfe and he was no longer a confidante; therefore, what Ken was saying was not valid. He just hauled him over the coals. The representative of the Metropolitan Police was also given a good grilling because Ken wrote his Diana book when he was still a member of the Royal Protection Squad.
“And, of course, when (Paul) Burrell was in the witness box it was even more theatrical. They called him the 'porous rock' and by cross examination exposed his books as being highly inaccurate and Burrell to be a man without a memory who secretly copied Diana's private correspondence for his own ends. Not a very savoury person, who made a great deal of money by flogging half truths and fantasy.”
Did you believe she was pregnant?
“Not for a moment. My opinion over her death is that it was a terrible accident and that Henri Paul was driving far too fast on the instructions of Dodi Fayed. To me it makes total sense.”
What about the day she died?
“CNN rang me up in the middle of the night. I said on hearing of the accident, ‘Oh, how sad, having just found so much happiness with Dodi.’ I had no idea at that point she was dead.” How well did you know Diana? “Not that well, but I did spend the morning with her at Kensington Palace quite shortly before she died. She had actually invited me there because she thought I knew about her romance with Hasnat Khan, which actually I didn’t. She was paranoid about anyone finding out about that.”
What was she really like?
“She was very girly. I can’t tell you how much she managed to tell me in just a morning. I asked her things I wouldn’t even ask my closest friend. We laughed a lot and talked about Camilla, but mostly in relation to Charles. We did have what she would describe as ‘a girly chat’. Diana was feminine and giggly; also very funny. She would just whoosh into a room and fill it with her presence. She was one of those sorts of people. Diana was very animated and we did talk about the most intimate things, which I was surprised by.”
Like? (Ingrid was somewhat silent on this question.)
“What Diana does is tell different things to different people. That is part of her mystery. She would tell one thing to one person and a completely different thing to another.” What is your view about Prince Harry possibly being James Hewitt’s son? “As far as I am concerned, it is an absolute impossibility. You have only got to look at his eyes. When you see Prince Charles in person, rather than a photograph, his eyes are incredibly close together, which is a totally Windsor trait. His eyes are on the bridge of his nose, if you see what I mean, just like Harry’s. Funnily enough Prince Charles, when you are sitting with him, looks very like his father Phillip. I think it is his look but not the Queen’s. So definitely Windsor, not Spencer. It couldn’t be anything else. I have no doubt, whatsoever, that he is Prince Charles’s son.”
Ingrid has written about the Royal family for over 20 years and is the author of 10 books, as well as being editor of Majesty Magazine.
Where did it all start? Did you have your heart set on becoming one of the finest royal journalists of our time?
With a peel of laughter Ingrid replied, “Absolutely not. I just tripped into it. Everything that has happened in my career could either be seen as very good luck or very bad. It all began when I was working for a theatrical PR agency called Theo Cowan. One of the clients I had was an actress. Her father owned Majesty Magazine. Another journalist who was a great friend of mine, who has since passed away, introduced me to these people. I became very friendly with the family. One day the magazine owner said, ‘Would you be able to find me a high profile editor for Majesty Magazine?’ I said I would try whole-heartedly. I even remember asking Nigel Dempster, who poo-pooed the idea. Eventually when I had no success he said, ‘Ingie, why don’t you do it?’ I replied, ‘But I am not an editor’, although I had done a bit of writing. He thought I was the right person for the job. It was pure luck.”
In my earlier days I worked for Victor Lownes as PR for Playboy London. That is when I first met Prince Charles. He used to hunt with Victor and loved the idea of the Playboy Club and wanted to re-design the bunny costume. It could have been ‘By Royal Appointment’.”
I gather you were recently involved in one of the great royal film epics of this decade, The Queen, as a consultant...
“Yes. mostly on the Scottish scenes. There was a fair amount of poetic licence in the movie. A lot of it wasn’t right, but I thought it was superb.”
What was your opinion of Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Her Majesty?
“I really thought she was the Queen. Especially her movements. The way she walked. Helen got that exactly. Another programme I have recently worked on as a consultant is a new television series called The Palace. It is total fiction but great fun because I operated with a young team.”
Do you think Charles should become king or step aside for William?
“I think Charles should become king. Let’s face it, the job is not like one of being a bus driver. You can’t say, ‘I don’t want it.’ It is hereditary. He is the heir to the throne. If he can’t take the responsibility why on earth should his son? That is the way it is, at the moment. The royal family are very anti the idea of changing something as fundamental as that. Also Charles has got the experience. Why would William want to be king? He would hate to have that kind of responsibility and restriction at such a young age.”
Should William marry Kate (Middleton)?
“If he loves her enough. She’s a gorgeous looking girl; simply stunning. Kate also seems to be able to handle the attention. I think the plus is that she has known him for a long time. That he is slightly stuck with. Kate is also very charming, polite and probably very ambitious. That is something you would have to be, wouldn’t you?”
Moving onto your writing… among your many books there is one called Queen and Di: The Untold Story. Ashamedly I have not read it yet. Could you give me a synopsis?
“I really enjoyed writing it. It was really about similar things that have happened. For instance, the Queen had her first royal engagement at the same age that Di did. It focused on the relationship between the two women, with a great sadness that it did not work out.”
What was their relationship really like? Strained?
“She used to go and see the Queen without an appointment. No-one ever did that. Diana would just sit and sob and say how everyone hated her. The Queen was just not used to this. They were two very different people. Diana had huge respect for her. However, the Queen never realised. I think that was a real tragedy. I don’t think there was anything in the Queen’s make-up that would allow her to know someone like Diana. Anyone who wasn’t of a similar age would have had a hard time understanding her.”
What of Camilla Parker-Bowles. Did the Prince of Wales’s affair with her ever really come to a halt, despite him marrying Diana?
“I believe that Prince Charles is a very honourable man, in his way. I think he did finish the affair and did not speak to her for quite a long time; but as soon as his marriage became rocky he resumed contact.” Was he in love with Diana when he married her? “Diana said to me he was; Charles talked of nothing but Diana in those early days. I think he was enchanted with her.”
What about all the problems she had, like bulimia? Were those all true?
“Totally. What was really interesting about Diana is that she matured incredibly in her later years. She had the most enquiring mind and really wanted to find out about things. Like the meaning of life, why were we here, and about different religions. If she fell in love with someone like Hasnat Khan, she would want to know everything there was to know about heart surgery. I really admired her. When I wrote the final book, Diana: The Last Word, with Simone Simmonds, Diana’s healer, I discovered so much about what made Diana tick and I came to the conclusion, despite her problems, I really liked and admired her.”
What was the real story of her relationship with Hasnat Khan?
“She was totally in love with him. He couldn’t take the publicity and the baggage that came with Diana. They broke up. Why they actually parted we still don’t really know. What we don’t know until Hasnat Khan says anything − and I believe he is going to, either by appearing in court or giving a witness statement − is why they actually broke up. From Diana’s side I understood he broke it off because he couldn’t cope.”
A few days after my interview with Ingrid, Hasnat Khan finally broke his silence in an exclusive interview with the Mail on Sunday. He said, “I found Diana a very normal person with great qualities and some drawbacks…bad habits. We all have drawbacks… Sometimes I feel like screaming. There have been very bad times… A fountain is not how you remember a great person. Look at Nelson. Look at Queen Victoria… My lawyers say I don’t have to attend Diana’s inquest. If that is their advice, I won’t go.”Over why the relationship ended, he simply said, “I’m sorry, but that’s something I cannot talk about.”
Continues Ingrid, “Following the break-up, she then hitched up with Dodi. Dodi was probably the first man that had ever treated her like a princess. His charm was like a flame thrower. I met him years ago when a girlfriend of mine was dating him. She found him totally wonderful, in the same way that Diana obviously did.”
There have been recent press reports claiming that when the Princess of Wales died Dodi and Diana were no longer together. Was this true?
“I think that’s rubbish.”
A subject of personal interest is, why was the princess embalmed? I always felt this was to cover up the fact she may have been pregnant. Can you let me know why this took place?
“Apparently it had something to do with the heat of Paris in August and her body travelling back to England. Unless bodies are kept in cold storage as you see in the movies, I suppose it was the most sensible thing to do. That is all I know.”
Who are your favourite royals?
“Well, I love Prince Charles. I think he likes the slightly older blonde! He is very good-looking and has beautiful teeth, but photographs incredibly badly. He is also extremely charming and funny. When you are sitting next to him I think, ‘My God, I am sitting next to the future king. It is quite a powerful feeling.“I am also very fond of Princess Michael of Kent. I think she is terrific although she has had very bad press. I have conducted many interviews with her and known her for a long time.”
On to a more controversial subject, is Prince Andrew the son of the Earl of Caernarvon?
“I very much doubt it. People did not behave like that in those days. Especially the Queen. Phillip was the one love of her life. I don’t think so for a minute.”
On to the younger generation… how do you think Prince Harry should be handled?
“I don’t think he is out of control. He is probably like any other young man in his early twenties. Harry just wants to have a good time. He is very keen on the army and has been since he was a little boy. I think that is his forte. That is what he wants to do. He will grow up tremendously and has done a few silly things; he knows he has.”
Reverting to your personal life… you were married to Ross Benson who, without a shadow of a doubt, was the finest foreign and war correspondent the media had ever seen. Prior to that he was also a great royal and society gossip reporter. In his earlier years, he was, of course, renowned as editor of the William Hickey Column. He gave Dempster a good run for his money. He was also a man of enormous courage, not unlike yourself. He died suddenly at the age of 56 Was there a lot of rivalry between yourself and Ross because you were both such prominent journalists?
“No, there wasn’t. I remember one particular time when we had tremendous fun working together. We did a lot of television, especially with CBS. Occasionally I would get the better of Ross. Once a satellite crew had been sent to our house in the country. Ross was hung over from the night before, but I had snuck off to bed early. I was as bright as a button and he could hardly speak. I just wiped the floor with him.”
How did you feel when he was war reporting abroad?
“I got used to it. Every time I looked at the news, especially when I saw the tsunami coverage, I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, Ross is going to be sent away.’ I was sort of gripped by panic every time there was a major foreign story on the news. Ross would be gone within hours. It was quite difficult to deal with.”
Have you ever considered war reporting?
“Certainly not.”
You were together for 20 years and married for 17. What is the fondest memory of him, apart from the birth of your daughter Bella?
“Possibly when I had meningitis. I remember he had been away for a while, and I was living in a flat in Notting Hill. When he returned, I was just lying there, practically expiring. He immediately swung into action as only a journalist could. He dropped everything and got onto the telephone and then drove me to the doctor, and within an hour I was in hospital. Ross then wrote the most beautiful article about how much he loved me, how close to death I had been, and how awful it would have been had I died.”
How are you coping?
“It is difficult. Especially being a single parent to a teenage daughter. You just have to live life. That is what Ross would have wanted me to do. My friends have really pulled me through, especially ones like Sir Dai Llewellyn. If I didn’t have my friends, I would be in a deep, deep depression. I am so lucky. They are my family now.”
Your daughter Bella attended my boarding school – St Mary’s Wantage. What is she up to now?
“She has just left for India to go and work in an orphanage in the south.”
(According to Bella, “I am working for a charity called the Kings World Trust. I am going to be teaching the children English and sport and basically living with them, and will be there for a month.”)
Back to Ingrid... what about your school days? Were you a model student?
“I was a bore at my school, Wycombe Court. I did not do anything clever or funny and absolutely loathed it. I did not shine in any aspect. My school days were a non entity as far as I was concerned and I was always in trouble and being isolated in a little room and not allowed to talk to or see anyone. It was like being in solitary, which of course it was. School was tough then. Can you imagine doing that to a child now!"
After school, did you continue your education?
“I went to a finishing school in Oxford to do my A levels. God that was fun. I went, under protest, to secretarial college there. I also had enormous fun but did not achieve much else!!
Returning to the royal family… you comprehensively covered not only the death of the Princess of Wales but also of the Queen Mother…
“I covered the death of Diana for CBS with David Starkey. The thing I remember most clearly about that day is walking to CBS; they had taken a floor of a building right opposite Westminster Abbey. It was about 5am in the morning. There were people everywhere. You could have heard a pin drop. It was quite extraordinary.”
“With the death of the Queen Mother I covered it for Canada. I was in a studio which wasn’t so nice as we didn’t get the atmosphere.”
I have never set foot in the Palace. What is it really like?
“Red carpet and gilt. Not very cosy.” What have been the most challenging moments in your working life? “Without a doubt when Diana died. My feet did not literally touch the ground for two weeks. I remember one moment when I was at the BBC doing a radio interview. When I left I was literally set upon by three people from the media who grabbed me and tried to pull me apart. All because they were all so desperate to get an interview with someone. At the same time I was trying to get the latest issue of Majesty Magazine out.”
What is the format of Majesty?
“It is a specialised magazine for people who are interested in the royal family. It sells very well in America and sporadically throughout the world. It has been going since 1980, which is incredible. I have been the editor since 1983”
Can we find it in Spain?
“Yes it is sold in El Corte Inglés. People in Spain really seem to like it although Hello and Hola are big competition.”
Have you spent much time in Marbella?
“Ross and I spent a lot of time there. A friend of his had a house above the Marbella Club. We spent time at the Marbella Club and La Meridiana and a lot with the Earl of Bradford, who is Bella’s godfather and still has a house there.”
What projects have you got lined up for this year?
“I hope a lot of work. It all depends on what happens. I don’t think Prince William will get engaged this year, but we do have the wedding of Peter Phillips. I always think it will be calm and then, of course, in royal circles, something always happens. I don’t think I have ever had more than three weeks without some royal drama happening.”
On a final note, if the inquest on Diana is inconclusive, do you think they should just let it rest?
“Of course I do, but what I think will happen is Mohamed will appeal. He has put his energy and life into this. However, I don’t know enough about the legal system and ramifications, as to exactly what will happen when the witnesses have all been interviewed, which should be around the end of February.”
Whatever happens, whether connected to the inquest or within any other royal circles, Ingrid Seward will always be at the forefront and, without a doubt, one step ahead of any other royal journalist. I so look forward to my next sojourn in the UK for the next tantalising installment. Watch, but more importantly read, this space. Here’s to the next chapter.
