Lady Archer told how she confronted her husband ov
Lady Archer told how she confronted her husband over his affair with Andrina Colquhoun during a ‘free and frank discussion.
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But she denied issuing an ultimatum that he end his infidelity after hearing about it from a newspaper gossip column.
She told him it ‘must’ end and Jeffrey Archer promised her it would, she claimed.
It was a repeat of her important evidence in the original 1987 libel trial.
Mary Archer said indignantly: ‘He would hardly be the first aspiring politician to have had the odd fling.
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She also denied trying to cover up the affair to save his political career.
Prosecuting barrister David Waters began his cross examination by saying he had to ask her some ‘personal questions.
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He asked: ‘Were you aware that your husband had an affair with Andrina Colquhoun as she then was?’
She replied: ‘Yes I was Mr Waters.
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Waters: ‘And that was in, we heard, 1984, 1985 particularly and then it carried on but diminished rather in 1986 and 87.
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Mary: ‘You have heard more than I have heard.
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Waters: ‘When did you become aware of the fact your husband was having an affair?’
Mary: ‘I was rung up by a colleague, academic colleague and told to look at a diary [Nigel Dempster’s] in the late 80s.
I believe it was some time in 1985.
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W: ‘May we take it that it came from the newspapers as opposed from your husband?’
Mary: ‘That’s right.
In my recollection it was about 18 months before the libel trial which tends to date things in my mind.
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W: Had that emerged into the public arena before that time, it would be politically damaging to you husband, would it not?
Mary: It might have been.
He would hardly be the first aspiring politician to have had the odd fling.
She agreed Jeffrey Archer was ambitious and had ‘various job opportunities’ before he accepted the Deputy Chair of the Tory Party.
Mr Waters asked: ‘Did you do your best to cover up the fact your husband had the relationship?’
Mary responded: ‘Cover up, Mr Waters?’
W: If anyone asked you would you deny it?
M: No.
.
.
Well maybe make light of it.
By the time I discovered it I was essentially in the past anyway.
Wives are not necessarily the first to find out about these things.
Waters suggested that if Archer lost the libel trial ‘it would have been very damaging, if not disastrous to any political aspirations.
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Mary replied: Yes and it would also have been a grave miscarriage of justice.
W: But you would agree if it had gone against him it would have been political damaging if not disastrous?
M: Yes.
Mr Waters then turned to her evidence in the 1987 libel trial.
‘A wife’s support in an allegation involving a prostitute is very, may be very valuable.
Mary: ‘Particularly if the wife is telling the truth as I was.
Waters: ‘And if you gave evidence then that of course is all the better.
M: I dare say.
Mr Waters then quoted from a speech by Archer’s barrister in the 1987 trial that ‘there is not a suggestion that Jeffrey Archer is a man who has affairs.
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He asked Mary: ‘Did you have a feeling of unease that the jury was being misled?
Mary replied: ‘I truly have no recollection of a reaction to any part of what I read on this page [holding transcripts of the 1987 trial].
W: ‘All I am asking you is when you heard it did you not just have a feeling of unease that that was lying to the jury having regard to the fact that in late 1985 you found out about your husband’s affair with Andrina Colquhoun?’
M: I truly do not recall.
I do recall feeling somewhat tense throughout the trial.
She added: ‘The affair had been aired in the newspaper.
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Later Ted Francis’ barrister Roy Amlot QC rose to question Lady Archer on her husband’s infidelity.
He asked: ‘You of course knew Andrina Colquhoun.
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Mary: I did.
Amlot: ‘Did you confront your husband?’
M: Yes.
A: Did he promise it would stop?
M: Yes.
A: Did you learn or suspect subsequently that he was still seeing her?
M: I knew he was still seeing her, she was doing the flowers in Alembic House.
A: I didn’t mean that, that he was still having an affair with her?
M: To the best of my knowledge the affair stopped when I said it must or possibly it had stopped already, I don’t know.
A: I am sorry to pry a little further, when you say you confronted him, was it in the form of an ultimatum?
M: I tend not to issue ultimata.
Let’s say it was a fairly free and frank discussion.
The trial continues.
ends
