A communist spy plotted to use skincare queen Eve Lom to target Princess Diana and infiltrate the royal family
- Czechoslovak agent used diplomatic cover to contact Eve Lom in 1987
A Communist spy tried to use ‘skincare queen’ Eve Lom to target Princess Diana and infiltrate the Royal Family, a Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal.
The Czechoslovak agent used diplomatic cover to contact Ms Lom in July 1987 in the hope of gaining access to her influential clients, according to declassified state security records.
At the time, Ms Lom ran a successful salon in London frequented by the rich and famous and was on the verge of turning her skincare brand into a cosmetics giant.
One of her friends and clients of particular interest to spies was Lady Fermoy, lady-in-waiting and confidante to the Queen Mother and grandmother to Princess Diana.
Despite her success, Ms. Lom remained in a vulnerable position. She had left her native Czechoslovakia as a teenager in 1968, after the Russian invasion aimed at crushing the Prague Spring, but she still had relatives in the country who were real “hostages”.
A Communist spy tried to use ‘skincare queen’ Eve Lom (pictured) to target Princess Diana and infiltrate the Royal Family, a Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal
Princess Diana talks to her grandmother Ruth, Lady Fermoy
The spy first approached Ms Lom, an opera enthusiast, and tried to strike a deal while she was attending a concert of a work by Czech composer Josef Suk in Norfolk.
A secret cable sent to the spymasters in Prague stated: “Lom is a close friend of Lady Ruth Fermoy (Princess Diana’s grandmother) who was the festival patron at King’s Lynn and invited her to the concert.
Ms. Lom asked me if I could help her get a record of the opera Juno Janosik by (Jan) Ciker. In exchange, Madame Lom promised to obtain the address of Lady Fermoy’s embassy.
The spy noted that, if the relationship with Ms Lom was fruitful, they could explore Diana’s grandmother further and “find out her contacts and possibilities”.
However, the agent noted some concerns about Ms Lom’s character, saying she “comes across as a bit arrogant”.
Undeterred, he later visited her in her living room, where he delivered her the opera’s score and libretto. But while they discussed her “chosen clientele” in general, she refused to give details about them.
Ms. Lom probably did not know the agent was a spy since he was posted to the Czechoslovak Embassy under the guise of a diplomat.
The spy noted that, if the relationship with Ms Lom was fruitful, they could explore Diana’s grandmother further and “find out her contacts and possibilities”.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday from her central London penthouse, Ms Lom, former wife of Pink Panther actor Herbert Lom, explained how ‘scary’ it was to face approaches from officials in her homeland during the Cold War.
“My family were hostages. This is how the Czech dictatorship maintained its grip,” she said. “Most people will not understand a totalitarian regime unless they have lived under such a regime. But I gave nothing.
She said she would have given the agent a warm welcome, adding: ‘Without the wonderful Lady Fermoy present at the event, do you know what I would have done?’ I would have broken his nose.
