Viewers of Netflix hit The Crown are left in no doubt who was to blame for the collapse of Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage: he’s shown sneaking off to renew his love affair with Camilla Parker Bowles while the Princess is left crying at the Palace.
Now, however, one of the couple’s former royal protection officers has come forward to present a startlingly different version of events.
Allan Peters asserts that Charles never began seeing Camilla again romantically (they first met in their 20s), but after discovering that Diana was having an affair with Barry Mannakee, a fellow protection officer.
And Peters was the one who informed Charles of his wife’s affair.
Viewers of Netflix hit The Crown are left in no doubt who was to blame for the collapse of Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage: he’s shown sneaking off to renew his love affair with Camilla Parker Bowles while the Princess is left crying at the Palace
Now, however, one of the couple’s former royal protection officers has come forward to present a startlingly different version of events
‘The popular perception is that the Prince of Wales was straying all the way through his marriage — and that is definitely, unequivocally, not the case,’ insists Peters, who worked for Diana for almost a decade.
‘The first person that strayed was the Princess. He went back to see Mrs Parker Bowles after he learned about her affair with Mannakee.’
This backs up Jonathan Dimbleby’s version of events. Dimbleby’s 1994 authorised biography on Charles stated that Charles had reconnected with Camilla in 1986.
Mannakee was the first to protect Diana since 1985. According to legend, their affair began during a Balmoral fishing trip in 1985.
He was promoted to Diplomatic Protection Squad in 1986. Mannakee (39 years old) was tragically killed in a road accident one year later.
He was reported to have been struck by a 17-year-old driver while riding on a motorbike in East London, leading Diana to suggest he’d been ‘bumped off’.
Allan Peters claimed that Charles didn’t start seeing Camilla romance again after they first met in early 20s. This was only after he learned that Diana was having a relationship with Barry Mannakee (a fellow protection officer).
Speaking in a new CNN documentary, Peters says of Diana: ‘I started to notice her behaviour was unusual whenever we were anywhere near Mannakee, so I decided to talk to her about it.
‘For the first 20 minutes, she categorically denied it. She then revealed to me that she had a relationship with Mannakee.
‘The Prince of Wales approached me and said: “Why is the Princess behaving in the way she is? What on earth is the matter?”
‘So I said: “You’ve got to talk to her.” And he said: “Well, I’ve tried all that, and the only thing that seems to be upsetting her is that Barry Mannakee is going back to uniform. And, if she’s that upset, Barry can stay.”
‘At that stage, I was forced to say: “Well, Sir, if he stays, then I’m afraid I’ll have to leave.” And, I think, at that point the penny dropped. He was utterly shocked and was clearly very upset.’
Peters adds of the finger-pointing of blame: ‘Nobody is the villain. I believe that everyone is the victim. [Charles] was under a lot of pressure to get married and she, too, was the victim of this whole process.’
A game of bone! Birthday treat for Emilia’s pup
Emilia Clarke was the Mother of Dragons Daenerys Tgaryen in Game Of Thrones. But she is much more interested in furry creatures in real-life.
To celebrate Ted’s second birthday, the actress (35) made Ted a delicious-looking cake. For the occasion, she dressed Ted in a party hat and ruffled collar (above left)
‘Yes, I am now this lady,’ jokes Emilia. ‘Baking ain’t just for humans — I mean, look at him.’ Emilia, who is currently single, used to go out with film director Charlie McDowell, but now affectionately calls Ted, ‘my main squeeze’.
While she is best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen’s Mother of Dragons, Emilia Clarke is much more interested in furry creatures in real-life.
For Ted’s 2nd birthday, actress Elizabeth Lange, 35, made a tasty looking cake.
BORIS Johnson’s wife, Carrie, is often portrayed by her enemies as his Lady Macbeth.
Guess what play she and Prime Minister saw Tuesday night?
The Tragedy Of Macbeth, of course, at London’s Almeida Theatre.
Heavily pregnant Carrie is currently preoccupied by the ‘rewilding’ of elephants from Kent to Africa in her role as head of communications for the Aspinall Foundation, so perhaps The Jungle Book will be her next night out.
Gemma’s got bottle . . . and an extravagant party bag
AS ANY member could tell you, Annabel’s has a strict policy of no alcohol being brought in from outside.
Gemma Chan, So Crazy Rich Asians’ star, raised eyebrows after she arrived at a Mayfair party carrying what looked like a bottle fizz.
‘On closer inspection, it turned out to be a handbag,’ a fellow reveller tells me.
It was also considerably more expensive than even the finest vintage: the Judith Leiber Champagne Bottle Big Bubbles clutch bag costs £4,650.
Gemma Chan from So Crazy Rich Asians raised eyebrows by showing up at Mayfair Club carrying what appeared like a bottle of fizz.
Chan, age 38, is out on the town with Mamma Mia! Star Dominic Cooper completed his party look in an Oscar de la Renta green mini-dress with Oscar de la Renta Taffeta.
Gemma should have felt at least a little more clear the next morning. ‘I try to do exercise every morning,’ she has explained.
‘A combination of yoga and Pilates. It’s worth having that ten to 15 minutes to stretch, have a cup of tea and then launch into the day. I find my posture is different and the tension is gone.’
BBC star Amol Rajan appears to be spending too much time making dubious royal documentaries and not enough on his day job, presenting Radio 4’s Today programme.
Yesterday he couldn’t remember the name of his esteemed fellow host Martha Kearney when it wasn’t included on his autocue.
‘You’re listening to Today on Radio 4, with . . . ,’ he told listeners before the 7.30am news bulletin.
‘[The autocue] says, “presenter and presenter” — that’s you and me.’ An unimpressed Kearney interjected: ‘I’m called Martha. It’s Martha. We’ve known each other for a while now.’
Rajan is on Today now for 24 weeks. But perhaps he is getting forgetful.
After all, he didn’t even remember to button up his shirt while presenting the BBC’s supposed exposé The Princes And The Press, about William and Harry’s relationship with the media.
In fact, the most revealing thing in it was Rajal’s chest hair.
Sir Graham Brady, Tory great and Tory leader is furious at the government’s plans to prohibit the boiling alive of lobsters and ban foie gras imports and exports on grounds of cruelty.
‘Where does it end?’ he wails at the Restaurant Association Gala Dinner at the Dorchester.
‘I’m not sympathetic to banning the boiling of lobsters. It’s all getting a bit ridiculous.’
Brady, who’s chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, adds: ‘I don’t much like the idea of having to go abroad to eat my favourite foods. Is it possible to transport foie gras by Eurostar? For personal use?’
Kelly paints red in Taupe and Glory
She’s the serious-looking ‘queen of taupe’ who used to make wannabe entrepreneurs quiver on Dragons’ Den, but Kelly Hoppen was all smiles after her encounter with royalty.
The 62 year old interior designer was at Windsor Castle to accept a CBE award from Princess Anne. It is for supporting British creativity and commerce.
She’s the serious-looking ‘queen of taupe’ who used to make wannabe entrepreneurs quiver on Dragons’ Den, but Kelly Hoppen was all smiles after her encounter with royalty
To celebrate, she held a party at Langan’s Brasserie in Mayfair, where she was embraced by funnyman Alan Carr (left with Kelly), who made her roar with laughter.
He may have made fun of her jumpsuit not being taupe but scarlet.