The seven-mile stone wall surrounding the Vaynol Estate concealed the unconventional and scandalous lives of Sir Michael and Lady Caroline Duff. Surprisingly, their adopted son, Charles Duff, their only child, did not inherit the estate, further fuelling local speculation about his identity. Locals talk about a royal link, some suggesting that he is the illegitimate son of Princess Margaret.
BBC TWO Wales took Charles Duff back to the family home for the first time in 25 years. During this emotional journey he talks about his upbringing, a childhood surrounded by celebrities, society figures and royalty, and reveals the truth about his real identity.
"I love this part of the world... but coming back to Faenol itself has mixed feelings for me," says Duff, who now lives in London and is a theatre historian at The Globe Theatre and in the US.
His father, Sir Michael Duff, godfather to Lord Snowdon, and mother, Lady Caroline, daughter of Anglesey's Plas Newydd, were both bisexual. It was a marriage of convenience. They both had many lovers, with artist Rex Whistler and one-time Prime Minister Anthony Eden among the beautiful Lady Caroline's list of partners.
"It was such a strange childhood because it was so cut off, enclosed behind that grim and forbidding keep-out wall," says Duff. "It was like being in a wonderful prison, I suppose, but it must have been very exclusive."
The house was frequented by politicians, royalty and socialites, as previously unseen private family film footage and pictures show, featuring figures such as the Queen Mother, the Queen, Lord Snowdon, Princess Marina, Cecil Beaton, Princess Margaret, Prime Minster Harold Macmillan and Lady Dorothy Macmillan. Many of the photographs from the private family album were taken by Cecil Beaton.
"There was a lot of dancing here," says Duff, standing in Faenol's pink hall for the first time in a quarter of a century. "We had a carpet which was rolled up, and people danced and played games. And I remember Princess Margaret exhausting us by dancing all night - she kept us up most of the night. It was a place of great conviviality and energy and joy and this is what it ought to be, I think."
But the fun and frivolity began to fade when Duff was in his teens, with the deterioration of his parents' relationship.
"There was a malaise going on with him, I would say," recalls Duff of his father. "By this time he thought that he had made the most ghastly error in marrying my mother and I think that he thought they must have lost their reason adopting a child. I think he felt everything that had gone wrong with his life had been because of this - and he started to demonise both my mother and myself. I think that once that started to happen, to be frank with you, neither of us could really do much right."
But, in spite of this, a social front was maintained, and at the Prince of Wales' investiture at Caernarfon Castle in 1969, Faenol played a central role, with 18 members of royalty gathered here, as previously unseen archive footage shows.
The programme features a reunion between Charles Duff and former Faenol staff, interviews with locals who reiterate the rumours and local opinion of the family and historian, and archivist Gareth Heulfryn, who tells how all the Faenol estate records were burnt when it was sold in 1984, adding to the air of secrecy.
The programme also features an interview with the current Marquis of Anglesey, Lady Caroline's brother.
"She was a wonderful girl, a great lady," he says of his sister. "For a time she was an actress when she was quite young and quite successful. They were very unconventional, those people over at Faenol."
So what about the true identity of Charles Duff? He discloses that he knows his true blood identity and addresses the local rumours of a royal scandal.
"Producing this documentary was truly fascinating," says producer Llinos Wynne. "Charles Duff was willing to speak so candidly about his unconventional and sometimes painful childhood at Faenol. We were given access to hours of private film footage as well as the family albums. Many of the family snaps in the album were taken by Cecil Beaton himself. These alone were such an insight into what life was like beyond that familiar wall, but coupled with Charles' willingness to speak so openly, it creates compelling viewing."
your comments
Irene Laird, Caernarfon
What a nasty comment from Alwyn Parry who loves Wales so much he couldn't get much further enough away from it in New Zealand. You may have been poor Mr Parry like most of us, but you probably had more of a normal upbringing than Charles Duff did. What an awful thing to be adopted by a weird couple who then disinherit you.
Mon Jun 8 10:01:51 2009
Janet Burnett, Swanley, Kent
My husband, Don Burnett, was a chauffeur for Daimler Hire in 1969 and drove the lead car with Sir Michael Duff in at the Investiture of Prince Charles. Although I didn't marry Don until 1995, he took me to Vaynol Park (which was very run down and quite upsetting to see) and told me the story when he stayed there for the Investiture.
We also managed to track down Anne Goodman and chatted over the old times and I still send her a Xmas card (Ron Pike was talking about her). My husband died in 2000. I am sorry to say that I missed the TV programme and hope it will be repeated.
Mon Nov 24 14:41:29 2008
Ted Owen, Llandegfan
The seven mile long wall that surounds the estate had four foremen on the stonemasons, with one being my great great great granfather. I believe that on the completion of the work each of the foremen placed an inch square stone side by side in the face of the wall. I believe they are somewhere near the main lodge.
Tue Nov 11 09:28:54 2008
Katie Lench
I am a historian who has been researching the long history of the Vaynol Estate for nearly a decade. Wall of silence is a good name - the most recent times of the Estate's history (from the mid twentieth century) have been the hardest to find out about. A great deal of Vaynol paperwork both personal and business was burnt by staff after Sir Michael's death.
Mon Oct 6 10:04:59 2008
Gary Lloyd from Telford, Shropshire
Since holidaying in North Wales for many a year, does anyone know if the Vaynol Estate is open to the public on days other than when the Faenol festival is on because I am interested in seeing what the Hall looks like.
Wed Sep 10 09:34:39 2008
KEVIN MUNDY FROM IPSWICH
i worked at vaynol in 1984 after eric jones and partners bought it. it was a lovley place i saw the tree the queen mum planted in front of the big house and saw the mausaleum.were sir micheal was laid to rest.inside was all white marble and silver chandeliers a lovley place and i would love to see the program.
Wed Jul 30 09:17:26 2008
Marilyn Assheton-Smith Edmonton Canada
Like others above, I would like to see this documentary now, and think about it in relation to other images I have of the estate from visiting it. My aunt, also an Assheton-Smith and in the Royal Canadian Navy during WW11, said there was a Lady Joan Assheton-Smith in the UK navy at that time. Or in some military position.
Tue Jul 22 09:28:34 2008
Harlan-Blond from Bainbridge Island, Wa. 98110
I am fascinated with the sudden discovery of Sir Michael. One of the most interesting foot notes to social history would be the guest book, which Michael insisted we all sign. Of course unfortunately I can not remember what wrote or drew. Was the Pembroke family able to retrieve the book? In my callow youth I hadn't realized all the world seemed to have visited Vaynol. An enterprising editor and publisher would find they had a treasure chest if they published the guest book.
Mon Mar 31 10:03:30 2008
Gwyn
Yvonne Williams: William Pritchard was my grandfather, I have a newspaper photograph of the school in 1951-52 which you might appear in. Or you may have some stories that would be of interest to me.
Wed Jan 23 08:56:48 2008
William Ramp from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Sir Michael Duff's first wife was the Hon. Joan Millicent Marjoribanks, a daughter of Lord Tweedmouth. I believe she kept the surname Assheton-Smith after her divorce. If anyone knows anything of her subsequent history, I would be most interested to hear of it. She appears to have been an acquaintance of the Canadian photographer, Roloff Beny, and correspondence I have indicates that she had some interest in art-collecting as early as 1935.
Tue Jun 19 09:53:23 2007
alwyn parry wellington new zealand
I had to smile at Llinos's comments about Charles Duff's "sometimes painful childhood". I bet he doesn't recall listening under the grey blankets to the quarrymen as they trudged through the snow before light on the way to the quarry to chisel the slate with a cold steel and hammer from streets like William Street with the leather works at one end and the capel and the sales yards at the other, where an allotment was the answer to food shortages.
Years later I was fortunate enough to stand by a large ornate 30 foot high Italian fountain on the estate and look across the fields terraced by oak trees to the distant quarries - the estate had been bought by an old school friend, a Cofi - I was a very happy boyo - and I think I heard a little chuckle from heaven.
Thu Jun 14 09:53:25 2007
C.Yvonne Williams Nantwich
Yes I remember Vaynol Park very well indeed.I was born & brought up in Penrhosgarnedd - my father being Counc. R.O Jones. I went to the old Vaynol School, Headmaster Mr William Pritchard.My parents were great friends with Edward & Eva Howes, who lived within the estate - Edward Howes was Sir Michael's valet.We spent a great deal of time with them at their home & especially with their son Bobby (Robert Edward James), who also attended Vaynol school. I remember clearly too all those who then worked on the estate & who have been mentioned in the various extracts here.
Fri Jun 1 09:17:01 2007
Julie Staton - South Yorkshire
Does anyone have any recollections of Rose Foster, Head Cook at Vaynol during the mid to late 50s. Rose was my great aunt and she died at the Hall.
Tue Jan 2 10:09:35 2007
Mitchell Owens from New York
For reasons of inheritance, Sir Michael Duff took the surname Duff-Assheton-Smith in 1928, only to give it up in the 1945. His first wife was therefore, for the period of their marriage, Lady Duff-Assheton-Smith.
Tue Sep 19 13:45:03 2006
Charles Crail,Santa Barbara, Calif.
Does any one know Sir Michael Duff's first wife's name? Was is Lady Duff- Assheton- Smith?
Mon Aug 14 10:23:24 2006
Ian Palferman, Colwyn Bay.
I can remember delivering fruit and vegetables to Vaynol from my parents shop at 220 High Street, and to be greeted by George (his surname I can't remember) the chauffeur to Sir and Lady Duff, who drove them around in a Jaguar Car, Reg No ECC 909, which I recently saw on show on the Promenade at Llandudno, still looking splendid. Those were the days.
Wed Jul 12 10:43:28 2006
Richard Harlan-Blond from U.S.A.
Sir Michael Duff and the Honourable James Smith were my Godfathers and I spent many interestintg times at Vaynol. There were many dicussions about Caroline and "the son" who was not Sir Michaels. Have many pictures of that period. I used to go for long solitary walks with Saffron, Micheal's dog. Richard Harlan-Blond
Tue Jun 20 09:57:00 2006
Ron Pike, Liverpool
Up to its closure as a residence, my wife Sylvia and I visited Vaynol, first in 1955 staying with Anne Goodman and her sister Vera. In all, we have been there every year for 50 years with our children and grandchildren. We still call every year and notice the changes and how it has gone to ruin. I enjoyed the programme so much, but being in Liverpool at the time the reception was very poor. I have lots of video of when it was in its prime. Is it possible to obtain a copy of the programme? Thank you for what you recorded. You showed all its good points.
Sat Jul 30 15:47:39 2005
