In the new Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, directed by Rowan Deacon, it has been revealed that the heir to the throne sent “dozens” of letters across the years asking for guidance from the presenter.
Among the many letters includes one where, in 1987, Prince Charles wrote to Jimmy Savile, “What I need is a list of suggestions from you. I so want to reach parts of the country that others don’t get to reach.”
In 1989, Savile wrote “Guidelines for Members of the Royal Family and Their Staffs,” which was a five-page document advising the Royals on how they should respond to “significant incidents.” It is believed that this was in response to Prince Andrew’s remarks on the Lockerbie disaster: “It only affects the community in a very small way.”
In another letter from 1990, Charles wrote, “You are so good at understanding what makes people operate and you’re wonderfully sceptical and practical!” and goes on to ask him to “cast an eye over this draft and let me know how you think we can best appeal to people.” The following year Charles wrote, “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the most useful assistance you … provided for my speech in the Guildhall the other day.”
Much like the majority of Britain at the time, Prince Charles and his family were not aware of Savile’s crimes. The snippets of information taken from some of the letters show that he put a lot of trust into Savile, especially as the “Guidelines for Members of the Royal Family and Their Staffs” allegedly reached the Queen herself. Charles was enthusiastic to appeal to the British public and appeared to want to be seen as more relatable and modern. He evidently felt that Savile, being arguably the most well-known man in Britain at the time, was the best solution.
Savile’s advice was requested by Charles from 1886 to 2006, on topics regarding public and family matters. As Savile had many connections to charities across the country (that he used to abuse whoever he wanted), the Prince of Wales would also ask for recommendations for public visits, without knowing what Savile was doing behind the scenes.
Jimmy Savile sexually abused what is estimated to be around 589 victims, most of which were under the age of 18. He additionally bragged about stealing glass eyes from the dead for jewellery, and performing sexual acts on the dead in hospital morgues, in addition to many sexual assaults on girls as young as five.
If you have been affected by anything relating to this article, you can seek support at:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/homepage/
https://sexualabusesupport.campaign.gov.uk/
0 Comments