Runcie feared gay betrayal

The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Runcie was last night facing imminent publication of a controversial biography about which he wrote: "I have done my best to die before this book is published."

In taped conversations with the author, Lord Runcie allegedly agrees that a "large" percentage of Church of England clergy are homosexual.He is quoted as saying: "I've never found dealing with homosexuals very easy. I've enjoyed their friendship, but I've always been conscious that they might stab me in the back because I wasn't one of them."

Humphrey Carpenter's biography makes revelations about Lord Runcie's sexuality, his fears of homosexual influence in the Church of England and his relationships with Baroness Thatcher and the Royal Family.

Lord Runcie believed that he had a gentleman's agreement with Mr Carpenter that his biography would not be published until he was dead. So he spoke with great freedom in a series of long tape-recorded conversations between the two men shortly after his retirement as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1991.

But the book is to be published next month and it is being serialised in another paper this week. So the former archbishop is on his way to the Balkans on a conveniently arranged visit, where he will stay until the fuss has blown over.

He talked to his biographer about his experiences with the Royal Family: at one stage he said he was asked for advice when it became clear that the Princess of Wales was miserable in her role; he also expressed the view that Prince Charles has no great love for the Church of England.

These remarks he made on the understanding that they would not be published until they were matters of historical interest only, and he now feels betrayed by the decision to publish. But Mr Carpenter said that the Archbishop had never asked for a veto on use of his words.

"There was no dishonesty on my part: he always knew the tape was running," he added.