Letter: Catholic Diana story had point

Sir: In his article about the rumoured conversion of the Princess of Wales to Roman Catholicism (28 May), Steve Boggan refers to the fact that I thought up such a possibility last summer and passed it on to several people. Perfectly true, though it was not to stimulate conversation at a dinner party but to point up the disgraceful state of affairs whereby, under statute, no Roman Catholic may ascend to our throne. May I please point out that I left no one I spoke to in any doubt that the scenario came entirely from my imagination and had no basis in any facts that I knew of.

Incidentally, Father Antony Sutch, whose conflicting accounts of his acquaintance with the Princess of Wales have provoked the recent speculation, has a reputation as a practical joker. His idea of an April Fool (on a Sunday which coincided with 1 April), as he later admitted, was to issue a warning from the pulpit in my parish church that in future, women coming to church with their heads uncovered would be in serious sin. On that occasion, too, there was some confusion.

Yours sincerely,

ANTHONY GILBEY

Wangford, Suffolk

1 June