We Tracked Every British Duke. Here’s Who Still Owns the House

 

Prince Harry wants a reconciliation - but it won’t happen his way | The Royal T

 

In today’s episode of The Royal T, Camilla Tominey and Hannah Furness speak to Arthur Edwards, a royal photographer who has been following the British Royal Family for the past 50 years, ahead of the release of his new book ‘Cup of Tea, Arthur?: My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family’. He runs through some of his biggest photo scoops, including the first time he met and photographed Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as his disagreements with then Prince Charles, who Arthur says has “matured” over the years as he has taken the throne. Arthur, who works as The Sun’s principle royal photographer for over half a century, also explains why he thinks the Royal Family needs a figure like Prince Harry, who he once considered the institution’s “star”, and why Arthur believes reconciliation in the form the Duke of Sussex would like it, won’t happen.

Cup of Tea, Arthur?: My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family, a must have for 2026

by Arthur Edwards (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

#1 Best Seller

in Celebrity Photography

 

'Arthur’s experience in the role is unparalleled and this is a truly captivating memoir of an extraordinary career, told by the man the royals themselves seek out in the crowd.' Emily Nash.

 

‘Arthur Edwards is one of the greatest newspaper photographers in history and a man whose professionalism and charm have made him liked and respected by many members of the royal family.’ Piers Morgan

 

After half a century in the best job in the world, I have covered two hundred royal tours in more than a hundred and twenty countries, photographed seven royal weddings, five funerals, seven births, three Jubilees and a coronation.

 

For more than fifty years, Arthur Edwards has been the definitive photographer of the British royal family, capturing their most private and historic moments.

 

This beautifully illustrated memoir traces Arthur's remarkable journey from growing up as the son of a lorry driver in London’s East End, to earning the trust of the Royal Family and becoming a close friend to King Charles and Queen Camilla.

 

Now, Arthur tells his stories behind the photographs – revealing the moments he had previously kept private, and the untold stories behind his remarkable access to the most photographed family in the world.

 

They say the harder you work, the luckier you get.

 

‘He’s a very good photographer, a jolly good bloke and a very special person.’ King Charles III

REMEMBERING 6 Nov 2024: Where is Lord Lucan? | Lucan | Official Trailer - BBC / Lucan review

 

Review

Lucan review – stick with this wild documentary to the end and you will be astonished

 

Fifty years ago, Lord Lucan murdered Sandra Rivett then disappeared. This surreal series follows the victim’s son as he hunts down the fugitive peer – and ends up somewhere totally unexpected

 

Rebecca Nicholson

Wed 6 Nov 2024 22.00 GMT

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/nov/06/lord-lucan-bbc-documentary-review

 

Richard John Bingham, the 7th Earl of Lucan, was declared dead in 1999, but that did nothing to halt the highly profitable cottage industry of speculation about him, which has chugged away since 1974, when he murdered Sandra Rivett, his children’s nanny, then disappeared.

 

At first glance, you might think that this three-part documentary will be another contribution to this conspiracy-minded canon. But this is not a “have we found him?” film. I cannot emphasise enough how much it is worth sticking with it until the end. What unspools is a sometimes tender, sometimes troubling rollercoaster that ends up in surreal and unexpected territory. There is a fake monk, catfishing, drag queens and Timothy Leary. You have probably not seen this side of the Lord Lucan story before.

 

The first episode is the most straightforward. The film-maker Colette Camden has found a new way of outlining what happened on 7 November 1974. A builder in Hampshire called Neil Berriman thinks he has tracked down Lucan, she explains. (There is a strong argument that the true subject of the episodes is Berriman, not Lucan.) Berriman’s mother, who had adopted him, would talk to him about a “brown envelope” containing information about his biological parents. For years, he wasn’t interested in even looking for it, but when he did eventually open it, it delivered a shock: newspaper cuttings about one of Britain’s most notorious crimes of the 20th century. It revealed that his birth mother was Rivett, the woman who had been looking after Lucan’s children for mere weeks when he bludgeoned her to death.

 

As you would expect from a modern documentary, and one which involves Rivett’s son, this shifts its emphasis from the headline-generating exploits of the “fugitive Lord” – the profligate gambler and drunk, known to his friends, ironically, as “Lucky” – to the 29-year-old woman whom he murdered, the justice he eluded and the consequences of this violent crime for those left behind.

 

Berriman has made it his mission to learn everything he can about the case – seemingly to the concern of his family – and episode one provides an overview of what he has discovered. There are interviews with people who knew Rivett, who knew Lucan, who attended the crime scene; and with people who, like Berriman, have made the investigation their primary focus (although without having the same personal attachment).

 

It is here that the series starts to rev up and speed off into the distance, where it shape-shifts into something else entirely. Berriman has spent years working with the investigative reporter Glen Campbell, who has reported on the case extensively (and called his dog Lucan). They have pursued countless theories and potential sightings. The film joins them as they are on their way to confront a man they have tracked down in Australia, whom they seem certain is the aristocrat.

 

To watch this with a critical eye is to notice that we, the viewers, cannot see or hear much of their evidence: a confidential police report that would compromise the job of the person who leaked it; a detail given off‑camera by Lucan’s brother. There are a lot of people saying “bullshit”. Often, there is no clear sense of what is true and what the people at the heart of this story want to believe. (There is, however, a clear sense of how much some of these men will make excuses for a friend who brutally murdered a woman – a small but deeply depressing detail.)

 

It is not a rigorous investigation so much as an empathic portrait of human obsession. Camden is evidently fond of Berriman, and her involvement in the story grows more pronounced as the episodes progress. I kept thinking of The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcolm’s classic study of journalistic ethics and the relationship between reporter and subject, wondering to what extent this documentary exists in a murky area. The programme gives Berriman (and, by extension, Rivett) a voice – and it’s hard to deny that he deserves that voice.

 

By the time Lucan explodes into its surreal final act, you will be feeling astonished and uneasy about some of the people caught up in the whirlwind of pursuit. This extraordinary documentary lingers in the mind and leaves a lot more questions behind it than whether or not Lucan lived beyond 1974.

 

 Lucan airs on BBC Two and is available on BBC iPlayer

REMEMBERING: The never ending story of 'Lord Lucan's Disappearance'

Neil Berriman says Lucan, who vanished after the murder of Sandra Rivett in 1974, lives as a Buddhist in a shared house.

SEE ALSO:

https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2017/05/lord-lucan-my-husband-mon-05-jun-2017.html

https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2017/09/lady-lucan-found-dead-at-london-home.html

https://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.com/2015/12/lucan-tv-reviews-i-suppose-its-not-100.html

Son of Lord Lucan's murdered nanny claims to have found missing Earl alive

 Andy Lines 13 hrs ago

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/son-of-lord-lucans-murdered-nanny-claims-to-have-found-missing-earl-alive/ar-BBZpZKP?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=mailsignout

Richard John Bingham, Lord Lucan who mysteriously disappeared after the murder of his children's nanny Sandra Rivett, at the family's Belgravia home in 1974. He has never been seen since

The son of the nanny killed by Lord Lucan claims he has found the peer in Australia.

Neil Berriman says Lucan, who vanished after the murder of Sandra Rivett in 1974, lives as a Buddhist in a shared house.

After telling police of his findings, he said: “I know he’s still alive.”

The man he believes to be Lucan is in his mid-80s and seriously ill, awaiting major surgery and virtually housebound in a large shared detached house in the suburbs.

Mr Berriman, 52, has been to Scotland Yard’s Cold Case Unit with his findings, telling them: “I believe I have tracked down the man, Lord Lucan, who murdered my mother.”

a man holding a sign posing for the camera: Neil Berriman has spent thousands on his own investigation© Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror Neil Berriman has spent thousands on his own investigation

He said the officer he spoke to agreed that police must look into his claims. He added: “They will now have to investigate this properly.”

The building contractor and father-of-two claims Lucan based himself in Perth on arrival in Australia, but moved to another part of the country after a series of disagreements with pals.

He now has a new group of friends. Two are young Englishmen, and another is an Australian he first met on a Buddhist retreat 11 years ago. They all take part in daily meditation sessions.

The mystery man needs a part-time carer, and often sits on the verandah listening to trains in the distance. The friends confirmed to the Daily Mirror that an elderly Englishman who looks like Lucan lives at the house.

Lord “Lucky” Lucan, who would have turned 85 last month, disappeared after the murder of Miss Rivett at the family’s exclusive mews home in Belgravia, Central London, on November 7, 1974.

He had run up huge gambling debts, his volatile marriage to Lady Veronica Lucan had collapsed and the couple were going through a bitter custody battle over their three children.

Police believe he attacked Miss Rivett with a taped-up piece of lead piping after mistaking her for his wife.

After the attack he fled and was last spotted at the manor house home of Peter and Susan Maxwell-Scott in East Sussex.

At the time there were rumours he had committed suicide by throwing himself off a cross-Channel ferry from Newhaven days after the murder. But no body was ever washed up, and the mystery of his disappearance has endured for 46 years. It has always been thought possible that powerful friends may have helped him escape to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.

Lord Lucan was a member of the Clermont Set, a group of powerful, wealthy people including millionaire businessmen Sir James Goldsmith and John Aspinall. There have been sightings in South Africa, the Maldives, India and even India. But, despite extensive police inquiries, he has never been found.

Mr Berriman’s quest began when he discovered 12 years ago that he was Sandra Rivett’s secret son, who had been adopted shortly after birth.

When Lucan was formally declared dead by the High Court on February 3, 2016, he received a detailed tip by letter that Lucan was in fact alive.

He then decided to spend £30,000 of his own cash on a private investigation. As he dug deeper, he claimed evidence showed that Lucan had indeed escaped British justice.

Mr Berriman, who lives with partner Kim in Milland, West Sussex, said: “He has been alive all this time. Lying about who he is. Lying about it to his new friends.

“They are fully aware he is a mystery elderly Englishman and not who he is claiming to be.

John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan wearing a suit and tie posing for a photo: Lord Lucan with his wife Veronica, Lady Lucan© Universal Pictorial Press Lord Lucan with his wife Veronica, Lady Lucan

“The people he lives with know he has a mystery past and what he tells them does not add up. They have had their suspicions for many years.

“Lucan is a deceitful conman and he is the man who murdered my mother.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind he escaped that night, with the help of friends who helped him get across the Channel and get a new passport, and incredibly he is still alive.

“From my own inquiries he’s had at least six different identities."

The police have asked Mr Berriman to return to them to fully present the evidence painstakingly collected from his personal four-year investigation. Now he is demanding they put a team of detectives together to look into his fresh information fully. Attempts are still being made to try to confirm independently if his claims are true.

Scotland Yard said it would not comment on the case, adding: “Generally however we don’t comment on who we may or may not speak to when/if a case is reviewed.” The mystery man is aware of the claims, but the Mirror has chosen not to reveal his identity.

Mr Berriman admitted the search has taken over his life. He said: “I’ve spent around £30,000 of my own money in this search for the truth.

“I’ve paid for flights, hotels and even expert facial recognition technology for analysis. That showed a similarity of over 85% – and that is taking into account all the plastic surgery he has clearly had. It certainly has all added up.

a person in a newspaper: The frontpage of the Daily Mirror in 1974 as the scandal broke© Provided by Mirror The frontpage of the Daily Mirror in 1974 as the scandal broke

“It’s taken me all over Australia and it’s taken me to meet all sorts of people who have helped me along the way – my journey to discover the truth.

“But I consider every penny was well spent – it has enabled me to get where we are today. It took over my life but it had to be done. I know some people would say that it’s become an obsession.

“That may be so. But I would simply say to them: put yourself in my shoes.

“What would you do if your mum had been killed, and no one had been brought to justice and the man who killed her was never found? You’d do exactly what I’ve done to discover the truth, I think. This has brought me and my family so much stress and heartache.”

John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan standing in front of a mirror posing for the camera: Lord © PA Lord

But Mr Berriman added, with a tear in his eye: “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind it was the right thing to do.”

If Lord Lucan is still alive it would have serious repercussions for the current Lord Lucan, George Bingham, who is the son of the fugitive.

George Charles Bingham, the 8th Earl of Lucan, would lose his title and inheritance if his father is still alive.

The earldom of Lucan was created back in 1795 during the reign of King George III.

The Binghams are an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family. Among them were George Bingham, the 3rd Earl of Lucan, who is best remembered for his controversial role in the Crimean War, when he lead the cavalry division involved in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade.

12 British Criminals Who Vanished and Were Never Found

Some committed high-stakes robberies, others were notorious mob figures, and a few carried out infamous crimes before completely evaporating. This countdown explores 12 British criminals who vanished without a trace—examining the clues, wild theories, and decades of cold-case investigations surrounding figures like Kevin Parle, Bible John, and Lord Lucan.

How the Fork Was Laughed Out of England

 

Count the forks at the next grand dinner you attend (what you do mean you don't have an invitation yet?) and you might assume that the more silver laid out beside your plate, the grander your host must be.  But by a set of unwritten and peculiarly British rules, the opposite is true.

 

Too many forks is vulgar!

 

In this film I trace the fork’s surprisingly bumpy journey to the British table, from a medieval world in which a great lord ate with his knife, his spoon, his bread and his fingers, to an Edwardian dinner party at which ten guests might face five hundred pieces of cutlery and crockery.

 

Along the way we meet Henry VIII picking at candied fruit with a little two-pronged silver “suckett fork”, and Thomas Coryat, the Jacobean traveller who came home from Italy in 1611 full of enthusiasm for forks, only to be mocked as “Furcifer” for his trouble.

 

We’ll see why it took Charles II and his courtiers, returning from exile in 1660, to make the fork respectable at last, and why that same year also brought back the oldest object in the Crown Jewels, which happens to be a spoon.

 

Then comes the nineteenth century, when service à la Russe, with dinner served course by course rather than all at once, gave hosts the perfect excuse to go shopping for cake forks, fish knives and fruit knives.

 

And then comes the backlash, because once everyone could own forks, the real test of class became knowing which ones to leave in the drawer.

 

I finish with John Betjeman’s merciless satire on suburban pretension, the 1950s panic about “U” and “non-U” vocabulary, and the one word lying on the dinner table that a certain kind of Briton would never, ever say out loud.

 

You’ll have to watch to the end to find out what it is!

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