The Countess of Dudley
Auberon Waugh's article in the Spectator on 16 May (lime for Dudley to act like an Earl and belt up') quoted the following passage from a letter from the Earl of Dudley to Mr John Barratt, Prince Michael's former Secretary: When she (Princess Michael) told Mr Jonathan Aitken that the British Ambassador in Washington (Sir Oliver Wright) had told her, Princess Michael personally, that my wife's conduct during the weekend in Washington had been so odious and outrageous that the Ambassador would never invite her to the Embassy again.
Lord and Lady Dudley have pointed out that Lord Dudley's letter to Mr Barratt also contained the following passage:
The British Ambassador, Sir Oliver Wright, assured me (Lord Dudley) personally that he knew of no such incident . . . and reiterated that my wife's conduct over the weekend had been exemplary in support of the Ambassa- dor and Lady Wright in giving Princess Michael what they believed to be an agree- able weekend in Washington.
Auberon Waugh accepts that he over- looked this passage and that, in consequ- ence, his article gave a distorted impress- ion which was quite unfair to Lady Dudley. He offers her his apologies for any embar- rassment caused.
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