PRINCESS Diana's stepmother, Raine, has confirmed reports that she and her French husband have divorced. Raine (67), daughter of novelist Barbara Cartland, said the split with Count Jean Francois de Chambrun had been amicable. She was married to Princess Diana's father Earl Spencer until his death in 1992. She inherited much of his £88 million estate.
Joanna Lumley (50) paid homage to Sir John Betjeman last night at a reading at Westminster Abbey before a stone tablet to the poet was unveiled in Poets' Corner. Betjeman, who died in 1984, joins A.E. Housman and Oscar Wilde as recent members of the illustrious club. The former poet laureate lived in Monkstown when he was the British press attache in Dublin.
Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders admits she hates being famous and is happy to leave her BBC on screen character Edina behind. The star whose Ab Fab finale was shown by BBC 1 last week says she gets tired of being shouted at by fans and being stopped in the street. She was launching the video Ab Fab: The Last Shout.
Yehudi Menuhin has appealed for corporate help to buy a Stradivarius violin to be played by young virtuoso Leland Chen, who won first prize in the Menuhin International Violin Competition. The instrument will be the only one of its type to be sold this year. London auctioneer Phillips expect it to fetch up to £700,000 on November 27th.