In 1986, during my tenure as the bodyguard to the two young princes, a rumor began to spread within both palace and police circles. It was suggested that Diana had grown ‘too close’ to her protection officer, Sergeant Barry Mannakee, and that a senior member of Charles’ staff had discovered them in a ‘compromising position’ on the eve of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s wedding.
Although nothing was ever substantiated, Mannakee was dismissed for crossing the unwritten boundary of propriety between him and Diana and was reassigned to other diplomatic duties. Tragically, he passed away a year later.
The Queen had previously been aware of her daughter, Princess Anne’s relationship with her police bodyguard, Sergeant Peter Cross, in the late Seventies, which had also led to Cross’s removal from his position.
To avoid another scandal of this nature, Buckingham Palace acted swiftly, and the rumor alone was sufficient to end Mannakee’s assignment.
I was wary of a similar fate befalling me. Diana had a knack for playing admirers against each other, often charming multiple men simultaneously.
In the late 1980s, while deeply involved with James Hewitt, Diana was also entangled with another admirer, James Gilbey, a car salesman and gin fortune heir. Gilbey was infatuated with her, yet Diana’s feelings for him were not as strong as they were for Hewitt.
When Diana confided in Gilbey, as she frequently did with me, she would express anger over Charles’s affair, seemingly unaware of her own indiscretions. It is not surprising that the Princess believed the ‘Establishment’ was ‘out to get her’.
Diana’s fascination with the married art dealer Oliver Hoare was even more intense than her relationship with Gilbey. I was not fond of Hoare, and though Diana sought his company, Hoare was not pleased with my presence.
He likely suspected I was monitoring him. However, I believed that as long as Hoare posed no security threat, Scotland Yard did not need to be informed of his presence.
Diana might have chosen Hoare as he was also a friend of Camilla, potentially providing her with updates on her rival. She often questioned him, trying to comprehend her husband’s attraction to ‘the Rottweiler’.
Hoare spent considerable time in her private quarters at Kensington Palace.
One night in 1992, around 3:30am, the smoke alarms in Kensington Palace were triggered. As I hurried to the Princess’s apartment, I discovered the source of the false alarm.
Oliver Hoare was hiding behind a large plant in the hallway, holding a cigar. Diana, who detested the smell of smoke, had likely sent him out of the bedroom.
I couldn’t help but find the situation amusing as I advised him to extinguish the cigar and return to bed.
He appeared almost forlorn as he composed himself and departed.
The following morning, I attempted to lighten the mood by joking that Diana and Hoare had been playing cards in her room, perhaps even strip poker. Diana blushed with irritation, and I realized I had crossed a line.
