Your move, Bishop
From Miss Susan Clarke Sir: I read with surprise the letter of the Bishop of London (18 January). As a journalist, I reported the trial of R v. Burrell and heard all of the Bishop's evidence and took a note.
In his letter to you of last week, he used the oldest device in the book. He spent a paragraph defending himself on a point which no one disputes. There has never been the slightest suggestion that he was involved in a decision to vary the letter of wishes.
Lord Cathie, QC, on behalf of his client, asked the Bishop, 'Was the existence of this side letter [of wishes] ever mentioned to you by Lady Sarah McCorquodale or the Hon. Frances Shand Kydd or by any solicitor?'
The Bishop replied, 'I cannot say that it was.'
The Bishop of London's answer conflicts with the explanation from Lawrence Graham, solicitors to the executors. that he was informed about the letter of wishes in January 1998. This was two months before probate was granted.
The court was told that the Bishop of London was appointed to be an executor of Diana, Princess of Wales's will on behalf of Princes William and Harry to ensure that their mother's last wishes were fulfilled. On oath, the Bishop said that he had no knowledge of these wishes until the day he appeared in court. If he had known, he assured the court, he would have taken them 'very seriously'.
There is a huge discrepancy between the account of the Bishop on oath and that of the solicitor to the executors.
If the Bishop of London is to preserve his reputation as a man of integrity, he must now come clean and tell us which version of events is the truth.
Susan Clarke
London SW3
Previous page
