Page 14 of Murder in the Family

Whatever the truth of it, the newly-weds had only been married a few months when rumours began to circulate that all was not well at Dorney Place.

Caroline told friends that Rupert was ‘acting out’ and ‘sullen’, and while Andrew seems to have made every effort to smooth things over, Rupert started spending more and more time with his mother’s side of the family, and when he turned13 he was packed off to Eton and only made occasional visits home in the holidays.

CUT TO: Rupert Howard, in a City office. He’s wearing a suit and glasses, and a bright orange and red MCC tie. He looks very like his father.

RUPERT HOWARD

If you’re asking me if I liked her, then no, of course I didn’tlikeher. I hated her. I was very close to my mother and I resented Caroline, as fiercely and irrationally as any 6-year-old in that situation would.

Did she deserve it? Probably not. But I never warmed to her, and I never trusted her. And the older I got the more convinced I became that I was right not to.

CUT TO: Guy watching FOOTAGE of Rupert’s last comments on a laptop. He smiles dryly.

GUY HOWARD

It doesn’t surprise me that he said that. He’s always made it pretty obvious what he thinks.

(shrugs)

I guess I might feel that way too, if I was in his position.

NICK VINCENT (Producer) – off

How are things between you two, these days?

GUY HOWARD

We don’t see each other much. He wants to stand for Parliament at the next election so he spends all his time out in the wilds of Shropshire schmoozing the local Tories.

But to answer your question, we get on. We agree to disagree. Mainly by avoiding the elephant traps.

Like anything to do with the F-word.

F as in Family.

NICK VINCENT (Producer) – off

Is that why you decided not to interview him on camera yourself? Why you wanted someone else to do that?

GUY HOWARD

(shifts in his chair)

This film is about getting to the truth. And that means some aspects of it are better done by other people. Not me.

NICK VINCENT (Producer) – off

But given what you said just now about the family being an elephant trap, some people might be surprised that Rupert agreed to take part in this at all.

GUY HOWARD

You’d have to ask him. But I suspect he’d tell you he has nothing to hide.

CUT TO: Rupert.

RUPERT HOWARD

(smiles and spreads his hands)

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