6 JULY 2002, Page 27

Leftie pro the Prince

From Mr Francis Wheen Sir: Simon Heffer's robust defence of Prince Michael of Kent CA prince among men', 29 June) is marred only by his assertion that the prince's critics are 'leftists . chippy republicans . . left-wing politicians and their media accomplices'. In fact, many of the recent fusillades against Prince Michael have been fired by the Daily Mail; and one of the few sympathetic articles about him published in the last year was a short piece by a leftist republican (myself) in the New Statesman. I am at a loss to explain why the Rothermere press should vilify this decent, thoughtful and likable man. Could it be that even Conservative newspapers are not immune from the disease of chippiness?

Francis Wheen

Pleshey, Essex