James Hewitt
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- For the article about the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, see James Hewitt, 1st Viscount Lifford.
Major James Hewitt (born in Ireland, on 30th April 1958), former British household cavalry officer, is famous for being the lover of Diana, Princess of Wales. He has courted controversy by revealing details of their affair.
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[edit] Early life
Hewitt grew up in Kent and Devon. He attended Millfield School and attended Sandhurst.
[edit] Relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana admitted in her famous Panorama interview that she had committed adultery with Hewitt, saying, "Yes, I adored him. Yes, I was in love with him." As Diana was then the wife of the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne, this would be high treason, if prosecuted. It has been suggested that Hewitt is the natural father of Prince Harry,[1] though he claims to have met Diana for the first time in 1986, two years after Harry was born. Hewitt became Diana's riding instructor, with the affair said to have begun in 1987 and ending in 1992. He retired from the Life Guards in March 1994 after 17 years of service.
In a recent interview, Maj. Hewitt admitted under hypnosis that he had met Diana in 1981 or 1982 and that their affair began shortly afterward, fuelling conspiracy theories that he may be Prince Harry's natural father. [2]
Hewitt made the news by attempting to sell letters that Diana had written to him. On 21 July 2004 he was arrested at a bar in London on suspicion of being in possession of a Class A drug, reportedly cocaine. He was bailed to report to police in September.
[edit] Television career
- Hewitt lifted 82.5kg in the 2003 weightlifting event of Channel Four's The Games (a celebrity athletics tournament), setting a record which he held jointly with 2004 competitor Shane Lynch, until this was beaten in 2005 by Philip Olivier. He eventually came second.
- In 2003, Hewiit took part in the Five reality TV show Back To Reality and eventually won it.
- In July 2004 he was interviewed by a Swedish TV show called High Chaparall in which he was interviewed over several days whilst carrying on his normal life.
- In 2005, he took part in the ITV wrestling competition Celebrity Wrestling.
- In 2005 James appeared on Heads Up with Richard Herring to discuss his life, career and his love of poker.
- In 2006 he appeared on the BBC show Top Gear as a celebrity guest, achieving a lap time of 1.47.69. He was not recognised by presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, who referred to him as "the well-spoken man".
- On Sky One's show Vroom Vroom, he accepted "the Cat and Mouse Challenge".
- In May 2006, Hewitt starred as a contestant in The X Factor: Battle Of The Stars, alongside fellow kiss-and-tell "celebrity" Rebecca Loos, but was evicted after the final showdown on Thursday Night (Night 4). He was mentored by Simon Cowell who, despite being supportive in his role, did not deny Hewitt's notable lack of vocal talent.
[edit] Trivia
- Hewitt whilst performing on Celebrity Wrestling went under the moniker "Gentleman Jim"
- Featured in ITV "prank show" All New Celebrity Pranks with Frank Bruno in which Hewitt (with collaboration by his friend and shooting partner) was "arrested" by two actors pretending to be policemen. Accusing Hewitt of using live firearms, they proceeded to have him fire paintball guns planted in the car to test the theory that "a bullet will come flying out of them". Finally the arresting officer declared that this was a prime case of "Guns, Birds, and Hewitt" and he was released with out charge.
