JUST before Lord Mountbatten made his last boat trip, he gave an Lowdown about the threatened coup 1968.
Challenge now publishes facts behind the conspiracy.
What made you think about a coup?
Actually it was my nephew's missus put the idea in our neads. had been getting all those complaining about the government.
Who from?
Well, ordinary people. Chaps like heriditary peers, army police chiefs, bankers and company directors. Liz takes notice of like that. She knows verv well it thev complain, then something is really Did she distrust Harold? Good Lord, no! She always reckoned he was one of her most obedient servants. Set him up for a month, it did. when he was allowed to bow to her and kiss her hand. thought he was not tough enough.
So you had a chat with Cudlipp and King about all this?
JENNY Davenport (Letters, 12 March) is wrong to think that rape let individual men off the hook. have denied that men sexuallv. and in everv other sphere - have more than access JUWCI women.
It is the man's and woman's position in the family that gives men that differential access to Women must therefore first challenge our own subordination and mobilise for our own demands male DICdonces are be confronted.
Revolutionary feminists only Wallt Well, yes. They thought like Liz, Phil, and me, that those silly bloody voters might go and to Labour government into office We didn't want to chance that.
Socialist the What were the things that worTried you?
It was bad enough the Vietcong giving the victuall when started supporting them and rioting outside She things looked damned bad Wilson porting the Vetnamese.
not like that. He told Liz as much. But as she said to me: day when the officers, sent them to the Tower for treason. Now that bloody Wilson can't even people kick them out of the Labour Party. It really upset Liz, that did.
Then had students. that May revolution. rible ideas in our students' heads. Instead of joining the started joining groups like the SWP and the IMG.
She just anyone else worried?
Especially those Russia, they claim they can't live off Ine wages we pay. rersollany I cal put vice.
Yanks the run around in There American embassy the coup?
You even had Labour MPs sup Harold did make a balls of always rely 'There was a Callaghan, monarch could have Wing to do Things got so bad in Paris those blasted Liz, let it be.
there was nearly a This put all sorts of terthat?
KGB the a figurehead rtainly in MI5. that WOrK for Britain. never understand why the government does not ask Brezhnev for a contribution to run our secret serAnyhow they are not against us on personal grounds and they knew very well that if we ever had one of those terrible socialist revolutions they would lose their jobs and their pensions just like the rest of us.
Why did you not go through with Well, we decided that if Harold did things we could on Denis Healy, Jim Shirley Williams and George Brown — if we could find what pub he was in at the time.
We knew that the troublemakers might grumble but they were not go much. In the end I told Do you reany think tae wueer should interfere in politics like Too bloody right, I do. She isn't jus If things ever threaten to get our of hand she intends rallydemocracy. nephew of mine know what to do. They have no intention of having a of unwashed workers runn Lord Mountbatten (left): Surprising revelations