A letter from the Queen to one of her most trusted confidantes — Lady (Henriette) Abel Smith, a lady-in-waiting — has just been unearthed, written after Diana's death in Paris. ‘Thank you so much for your letter about Diana’s tragic death,’ it reads. ‘It was indeed dreadfully sad, and she is a huge loss to the country. But the public reaction to her death, and the service in the Abbey, seem to have united people round the world in a rather inspiring way. William and Harry have been so brave and I am very proud of them.’ To the mostly typed letter, she had added a personal postscript saying 'emotions are mixed up but we have all been through a bad experience'. Left, the letter, right, the Queen and Diana. ...read

King of the Clangers and the Cerebral Gaffer are just two of the nicknames that former Tory Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin has attracted in the course of his career, writes ANDREW PIERCE. Now he’s writing a book about how the party should progress. Hearts And Minds: The Battle For The Conservative Party From Thatcher To The Present, will argue that most politicians are capable of recognising their errors and learning from them. ...read