EXCLUSIVE: Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond is celebrating her milestone 35th anniversary as a leading expert on all-things monarchy - and she has some unbelievable stories to tell
From joking with the late Queen about a horse who blew raspberries to being told by Diana, Princess of Wales not to wear yellow because it “doesn’t suit her”, Jennie Bond has spent a lifetime in close proximity to the Crown so it's little wonder that the former BBC royal correspondent has an enviable number of stories to tell.
“I was a general reporter at BBC television when I was asked to become the Royal Correspondent. It was a job that I really didn’t want. I didn’t know where it was going, I thought it was a bit flimsy, a bit flippant… a bit shallow really. I said I’d do it for one year… and here I am 35 years later still talking about the royals!”
"One time I really did get it wrong was in South Korea when there was the most boring story being told so I decided to tell her about a horse called Jupiter that I knew.
“It was so important to highlight the issue of landmines in Angola. It was something that the princess cared deeply about. Both she and I pored over the facts before we went and for once, I felt like I was reporting on something really substantive that could begin to bring about change in the suffering of the people of Angola, many of whom had been maimed by landmines.
Born in Hitchin in August 1950 - just four days after Princess Anne - Jennie was educated at St Francis' College in Letchworth, before going on to spend three years at Warwick University and one abroad completing her honours degree in French.
Queen Elizabeth II King Charles III Princess Diana Dame Helen Mirren Prince Charles I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Queen Elizabeth's real reaction to King Charles and Queen Camilla's wedding dayRoyal butler Grant Harrold discussed the 'biggest misconception' about the late Queen's attendance
Read more »
King Charles reappears on late Queen's birthday as he drives wife Queen Camilla to churchThe monarch is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer
Read more »
Gavin and Stacey to return for Christmas Day finale episodeThe BBC confirmed the episode would air on Christmas day on BBC One and iPlayer
Read more »
Former Royal Butler Reveals Queen's Concerns about Opening Balmoral to PublicA former royal butler has revealed the late Queen and Prince Philip were “fiercely worried’ about the protecting their private space at the Balmoral estate. Grant Harrold weighed in on the significance of the announcement this week that the King has decided to allow the public to look around private interiors of Balmoral Castle for the first time. Grant reckons the ‘main reason’ is to provide the family with additional revenue, and he’s praised his former employer for a ‘very viable business move’. But though he said it was “always expected” that the Aberdeenshire estate would be opened to the public following the death of the Queen in 2022, it was something she had not been keen on - and the home was a ‘very sacred place’ to both her and her husband. Speaking in an interview on behalf of Slingo, Grant said: "Balmoral being opened to the public is massive.
Read more »
Former PM Describes Shock and Overwhelm at Queen's DeathThe former prime minister shares her feelings of shock and overwhelm upon learning about the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the responsibility of leading the country through its grief.
Read more »
BBC Radio 2 listeners vote Dancing Queen their favourite ABBA SongTens of thousands of votes were cast, with Dancing Queen taking the No.1 spot in Your Ultimate ABBA Song
Read more »