Anthony Holden Dies: Journalist/Author Whose ‘Charles’ Detailed Royal Marriage Troubles Was 76

Bruce Haring

October 26, 2023 at 9:17 p.m.·2 min read

Anthony Holden, whose chronicles of the Royal Family’s troubles caused him to be referred to once as “The Most Reviled Man in Britain,” died on Oct. 7 at his home in London. He was 76 and had a brain tumor, his son Ben said.

A gossip columnist for the Sunday Times in London, Holden wrote a biography of Prince Charles in 1979 that was well-received, even by the subject himself, who reportedly warmed to the book’s point that his work wasn’t always easy.

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Holden continued on as a journalist, working as a Washington correspondent for The Observer, features editor for The Times of London, and as a freelancer for other papers.

During that, he was a go-to source for comment on the Royals. He wrote a few fluffy books based on that, including Their Royal Highnesses: The Prince & Princess of Wales (1981), A Week in the Life of the Royal Family (1983), and Anthony Holden’s Royal Quiz (1983).

In the late 1980s, his publisher asked him to write a second biography of the Prince. This time, he wrote about the chill between Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in the book, Charles, published in 1988, Holden wrote that the Prince “no longer understands her — nor even, it seems, much likes her,” and indicated Diana seemed bored with him.

A media frenzy ensued, with the Palace condemning the book.

Holden went on to write the biography William Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Genius, Laurence Olivier, and Behind the Oscars: The Secret History of the Academy Awards, among other works.

In addition to his son, Ben, Holden is survived by sons Sam and Joe; his stepchildren, Ben and Siena Colegrave; four grandchildren; and a brother, Robin Holden. He married Cynthia Blake, a novelist, in 1990. They separated 10 years later but did not divorce.

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