‘Exactly. In all the months of interviews I did with her, she told me again and again that she refused point blank to have their relationship portrayed as romantic or sexual. No kissing, she said! Denied it all.’

Steve looked at Tim and raised his eyebrows. ‘What do you think?’

‘Hard to say, and I never got it out of her. Maybe because it was really someone else, not the Prince, who was her lover, so she wasn’t keen on the fictional version hitting the screen. Or maybe she just really didn’t want to be a romantic heroine. A bit of both, perhaps. In the book, it’s a deep and passionate closeness – sister or lover – but of course, every film producer will want the romance angle.’

‘Of course,’ said Steve, ‘that’s what would sell the movie.’

‘K’tut wanted full control of the script, done her way, or she wouldn’t sign over the rights.’

‘Strong woman,’ said Grace.

‘Difficult when she wanted to be, and very clever, too. She spent the best part of thirty years living off producers’ courtships.’ Tim shook his head, looking bemused. ‘In the early 1980s, an Aussie production company made a big fuss, announcing they had the rights and were producing the movie of the book. K’tut went along with it, at first.’

‘Then what happened?’ asked Steve. ‘Same old thing?’

‘Yes, sadly. When we talked about it, she shrugged and said she’d told them her ground rules.’

‘But they thought they could change her mind, I suppose,’ said Grace. ‘The lady’s not for turning, obviously. So what did you end up writing for your thesis?’

Tim finished his mouthful. ‘This was no quick Q and A. It took a long time. Dragged on for years, actually,’ he said, then paused. ‘At the same time,’ he went on, ‘my life had its own ups and downs – personally as well as with the thesis – and I was working as a barrister by the time I finished it.’ He leaned back in his chair. ‘K’tut was a bit of a puppet master. I’d turn up for a working session and she’d announce out of the blue that she wanted to go out, even though she hardly ever left the hotel. This involved disguising herself with a towel and sneaking out the back way via the trades exit. Of course, she wouldn’t have fooled a single staff member in the hotel, but it made her happy.’

‘Where’d you go?’ asked Steve, exchanging a grin with Grace.