From Mr David Metcalfe Sir: David Gilmour accuses me of
wishing to destroy the reputation of my mother (Alexandra Curzon) and describes this as 'a particularly grimy form of filial betrayal'. Mr Gilmour has invited me to reply to his review and I do so. Anne de Courcy had access through me to the following material: My mother's diary which she had private- ly printed in '92 for the family and friends.
Letters from the then Prince of Wales in the Twenties and, subsequently, further correspondence with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor after their marriage. The diaries of Lord Halifax when he was ambassador in Washington during the war. These diaries were also circulated to others.
Letters from my father to my mother before they married; also my father's let- ters to her from Schloss Enzesfeld in 1937 and when he was with the Duke of Wind- sor in France between September 1939 and May 1940.
During my mother's lifetime she gave access to all the above material to the biogra- phers Frances Donaldson and Philip Ziegler.
I let Anne de Courcy decide which pho- tographs she wished to use from the albums in my possession.
None of the above supplied by me was in the least disrespectful to my mother. How- ever,. Anne de Courcy did have access to other material, the contents of which were unknown to me. I do not think this war- rants David Gilmour's description of my behaviour as 'filial betrayal'.
David Metcalfe
London EC2
Previous page
