40 years on, Lady Lucan tells her side of the story
MORE than 40 years after the 7th Earl of Lucan tried to bludgeon his wife, Veronica, to death with a length of lead piping, she is finally to reveal what really happened on that fatal night in Belgravia.
The reclusive Dowager Countess of Lucan — who has always refused to co-operate with the endless stream of authors and film-makers seeking to tell the tale of her husband’s disappearance — has secretly written her memoirs.
She has enlisted the services of a literary agent to choose which publishing house will win the rights to her dramatic first-hand account.
‘She has spent a long time quietly writing this over many years, but has kept it secret from all but a few friends,’ discloses a publishing source. ‘I know it is important to her that her side of the story gets aired.’
Professional gambler Lord ‘Lucky’ Lucan murdered his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, 29, in the basement of the family’s London townhouse after apparently mistaking her for his wife.
Lady Lucan, now 78, was injured in the frenzied attack and later identified her husband — who had moved out after a series of increasingly acrimonious rows — as her assailant.
After the attack, Lord
Lucan drove to a friend’s house in east sussex in a borrowed car, which was later found abandoned with bloodstains inside. The mystery of his whereabouts provoked decades of speculation.
‘[Lady Lucan] feels that since everyone else has had their say, it is her turn to have hers,’ says the source. ‘After all, she was the only person who was actually there on the night sandra rivett was killed and is still alive. Her version should carry more weight than anyone else’s.’
A death certificate was not issued for Lucan until earlier this year, enabling his son, George, to inherit the family title.
George has been estranged from his mother since he chose to live with his aunt and uncle, Bill and Christina shand-Kydd, when he was a teenager.
Lady Lucan told me last year she never wanted to divorce the charismatic peer, who was once considered for the role of James Bond. now, she confirms: ‘Yes, I have written my memoirs and engaged a literary agent. I can’t say any more.’