Dear Mumsie

The Iron Lady has said she won't be trading her private papers for gold. Her alarmed son takes the trouble to write from Texas with some heartfelt counsel

Before you go wobbly at the sight of a Dallas postmark, absolutely nothing's gone wrong, Mummy. Well, not in the last 48 hours anyway!! (Joke.) I just found myself thinking of you and thought I'd fire off a note to see how you are, let you know all the news from the ranch, send our love, that sort of thing.

I hear you're right in the news again with all this excitement over your papers. Mummy, I've got to say I hope you're not doing anything you'll regret. We both know that preserving your legacy for the generations to come is the most vital thing and decisions about incredibly important stuff like this mustn't be hurried. Don't shoot your bolt early, you used to tell me.

I totally couldn't agree more with you that the Churchill business was handled pretty carelessly, but I would say look again at Churchill and what he wanted for his family. Everyone says he put those papers by so that his children would benefit, and since you've always compared yourself to Winston I think you shouldn't feel it's a squiffy thing to do to claim a just price for your work at the appropriate junction in time.

I'm sure it's all vicious hearsay, but some of the journos are talking about your giving the work to a library like the Boddliman in Oxford, etc, etc. I think libraries are terribly important, too, and I can put you in touch with some top ones out here. Apparently there's one in Austin, Texas, that has incredibly significant papers from major writers like Piers Plowman and Evelyn War (they're v. big on women writers) and they pay literally millions of dollars for them.

We might also be able to arrange some "limited edition facsimile" deals. There's a New Yorker I do business with in Houston who took me out in his powerboat at the weekend and every time he went round a bend too wide he said "Hell ... look's like this lady's not for turning!" Imagine if he could have his own copy of the speech where you invented that phrase, he'd pay thousands! And treasure it for ever, of course.

Sometimes I don't think Britain gives you the respect you deserve. Look at the abuse thrown around about some little note you may or may not have written to the towelheads. And remember how in the last hours at Number 10, Daddy and I supported you (I'm not sure where Carol was) before you stepped outside in front of all of those vultures. They let you down then, and they will again.

All I ask is that you take care of yourself and don't be swayed by the twin hosepipe sucking up of Clark and Parkinson. Little Michael and Amanda send all their love to Granny and I'm bearing up, considering. Diane suggests "religious counselling", old man Burgdorf keeps trying to corner me for a man-to-man, and all this scurriless nonsense keeps appearing about me, but I will keep on batting for you and for Daddy.