7 JULY 1990, Page 24

Sir: The 'interview' which Mr A. N. Wilson conducted with

Her Majesty Queen Eli- zabeth the Queen Mother was, as your readers will have realised, no such thing. Rather it was an intolerable betrayal of a privileged and private conversation. For Mr Wilson to have broken every conven- tion of civilised society in this regard is bad enough. Worse, it shows an appalling want of chivalry from someone who has long set himself up as a would-be moralist, and represents an absolutely fundamental breach of trust. You, Sir, have condoned this deceit by printing such gossip and in so doing have greatly diminished the high reputation of your newspaper.

Nicholas Soames

House of Commons, London SW1