Melvyn Bragg led the tributes to Anthony Holden, the writer and journalist, at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Lord Bragg’s daughter, the Rev Marie-Elsa Roche Bragg, gave the blessing and led the prayers.
Melvyn Bragg led the tributes to Anthony Holden, the writer and journalist, at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Lord Bragg’s daughter, the Rev Marie-Elsa Roche Bragg, gave the blessing and led the prayers. A glittering young star of the Sunday Times in Harold Evans’s day, Holden nearly became editor of the Times. He wrote 37 books, including biographies of Prince Charles, Princess Diana, the Queen Mother and Laurence Olivier and two books on Shakespeare. ‘At one stage, his rating as a poker player was higher than any Englishman’s rating as a tennis player,’ said Lord Bragg. ‘From there, sidestep to [his biography of] Tchaikovsky – I think his best book. He took risks in it, which proved to be valid. ‘He was immensely proud of his three boys, Ben, Joe and Sam. He kept his friends in constant repair, as Dr Johnson advised, even when he was cruelly cut down by his stroke.’...
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