At three and a half years old, here, i caught polio. There was an epidemic at that time. They said, stephen wont live through this. But during those years in and out of hospital, he developed a passion for music, and after a spell as a journalist, he began trying out his songs at folk clubs before finally hitting the big time. But when his chart success began to slide, his attention shifted to another musical avenue. Sing once again with me. He was given the chance to record the single for andrew lloyd webber� s phantom of the opera, but he was devastated when he wasnt chosen to play the role for the west end. Youve done it all, broken every code. Nevertheless, he continued to perform. The effects of his childhood polio were lifelong, but onstage in the spotlight he said it was the one place he could forget it all and simply be steve harley, the rock star. Ooh ooh, la la la. That is David Sillito looking back at the life of steve harley, the front man of Cockney Rebel who has died at the age of 73. In other news, Charles Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana has written a book in which he describes violent and sexual abuse at the Boarding School he was sent to when he was just 80s old. He also reveals how he and diana were hurt by one of their nannies, nanny forster, as children. Laura kuenssberg went to meet him and asked him about his first day at the school. I and asked him about his first day at the school. , ~. , the school. I remember the shock of the school. I remember the shock of the journey the school. I remember the shock of the journey that the school. I remember the shock of the journey that day the school. I remember the shock of the journey that day and the school. I remember the shock of the journey that day and been the journey that day and been dropped there by my father. A very sweet, decent, loving man. I look back and i know he hated doing it. In fact, he told me that was the worst day of his fathering for me. I went back through my family records and a lot of people who lived here, over 300 years, you can see this conspiracy amongst the adults, they knew how brutal it was going to be for the little boy is being sent away. I dont blame my parents or any of the other parents for thinking it was the done thing at that time. I think the idea was that it was essential to blend with people from similar backgrounds and to take the hard knock, the real brutal heartbreaker, being sent away from home and in return you are going to be privileged and part of a set that you could rely on for the rest of your life. Set that you could rely on for the rest of your life. You say you felt cast out by rest of your life. You say you felt cast out by your rest of your life. You say you felt cast out by your family, rest of your life. You say you felt cast out by your family, though . J cast out by your family, though . Does that feeling ever go away . I think one of the things i had, actually, when my letters home and i see this thing when i read them that i was always apologising and i think i was always apologising and i think i know that that was because the only way i could make sense of being sent to Boarding School at such a vulnerable age was that i must have failed somehow as a son and i dont think any child should really have to feel that. Think any child should really have to feel that think any child should really have to feel that. Even before you were sent away to to feel that. Even before you were sent away to school, to feel that. Even before you were sent away to school, you to feel that. Even before you were sent away to school, you talk to feel that. Even before you were l sent away to school, you talk about some elements of your upbringing. You talk also about one of the nannies that looked after you and your sister banging your Heads Together painfully, that kind of discipline and violence, do think that element of that at home had an effect on you and your sister before you even sent away . I effect on you and your sister before you even sent away . You even sent away . I think that really damaging you even sent away . I think that really damaging violence you even sent away . I think that really damaging violence to you even sent away . I think that. Really damaging violence to children is going to affect them, whatever house they come from, whatever family they are born into. That nanny who did that to us, i mean, she used to crack our Heads Together if we were both found to have done something naughty. 0bviously without my fathers knowledge, but it really hurt. It wasnt a tap on the wrist, it was a cracking crunch and i remember it still. I have two older sisters and only later was it found out that a different nanny was punishing them by Ladling Laxatives down them and my parents couldnt work out why they were constantly ill. You are dealing with a very unstructured world of privileged parents living parallel lives to their children. But parents living parallel lives to their children. Parents living parallel lives to their children. But you and diana and our their children. But you and diana and your other their children. But you and diana and your other sisters their children. But you and diana and your other sisters were their children. But you and diana and your other sisters were then | and your other sisters were then brought up even in a Home Environment where staff, nannies hired to look after you, were hurting you. Hired to look after you, were hurting you hired to look after you, were hurtin ou. �. , � , hurting you. Again, i dont think we realised that hurting you. Again, i dont think we realised that that hurting you. Again, i dont think we realised that that was hurting you. Again, i dont think we realised that that was wrong. Hurting you. Again, i dont think we realised that that was wrong. We i realised that that was wrong. We knew it was painful and we knew it was something we wanted to avoid, but i think children dont know morality necessarily at that stage or certainly the law. So it was something that we lived with. Lets something that we lived with. Lets talk then about something that we lived with. Lets talk then about when something that we lived with. Lets talk then about when you arrived at school. In the book, page after page after page describes terrible violence what seems clearly like forms of paedophilia, terrible abuse and you set it out compellingly, brutally and very honestly. Is there a moment in amongst all of that that particularly haunts you . Why i called it a particularly haunts you . Why i called it a very particularly haunts you . Why i called it a very private particularly haunts you . Why i called it a very private schooll particularly haunts you . Why i i called it a very private school was because it was dominated by a particular figure, because it was dominated by a particularfigure, the headmaster. Particular figure, the headmaster. He particularfigure, the headmaster. He closed down the school to the outside world. He constructed his dreamworld of having little boys at his beck and call for sadistic thrushes and sexual thrills. If i look at one incident, it seems so minor, but if i look at the catalogue of horrible things that happened, was this chilling moment where he caught us all in my dormitory and the sheer rattling joy in his voice as he called us over for a thrashing. I was beaten lots of times, but there was one particular beating which was so violent and painful that i had to deal with that separately as a therapeutic session 20, 30 years later because it was so shocking. You just said, oh, later because it was so shocking. Youjust said, oh, it later because it was so shocking. You just said, oh, it was a minor thing. Its not a minor thing. You just said, oh, it was a minor thing. Its nota minorthing. Fora young man to be thrashed violently by an adult, a strong man. He young man to be thrashed violently by an adult, a strong man. By an adult, a strong man. He was addicted to. By an adult, a strong man. He was addicted to. No, by an adult, a strong man. He was addicted to. No, he by an adult, a strong man. He was addicted to. No, he very by an adult, a strong man. He was addicted to. No, he very much. Addicted to. No, he very much enjoyed hurting little boys and his trick was using a cane, he had various canes with their own names, and his signature was cutting the buttocks with five strokes and then putting the 61 across the five. There was something about the focused aggression and what i would now call sexual gratification that came through, thats what shook me. There was also, though, sexual abuse actually from a female staff member. You were groomed . Yes. Is an 11yearold you were groomed . Yes. Is an 11yearold. She you were groomed . Yes. Is an 11yearold. She was you were groomed . Yes. Is an 11yearold. She was an you were groomed . Yes is an 11 year old. She was an Assistant Matron at this school, twice your age, someone who should be able to trust. What happened and what effect did that have on your later years . To set context, that was a School WithoutFeminine Touch at all. There was one very tough, deeply aggressive matron in charge of the matronly things, clothes, etc. It seemed so wonderful to have a youngerfemale member of seemed so wonderful to have a younger female member of staff who was 20 and i remember i was sent half way through a term to a dormitoryjust outside her room in the attics and she started by giving. What she had suites for you . Suites, grapes, biscuits, that sort of thing and then she started seducing me and others actually but as far as i was concerned, i was suddenly the focus of some feminine warmth and it started with lots of long, long kisses of a sort i didnt really understand at all. French kissing wasnt something i knew anything about. And then it progressed further and i have to say, and i dont know, i havent talked to many victims of sexual abuse at a young age, it was almost abuse at a young age, it was almost a thrilling secret. I didnt know how wrong it was, i certainly didnt know it was a crime. It is incredible know it was a crime. It is incredible to know it was a crime. It is incredible to imagine know it was a crime. It is| incredible to imagine that know it was a crime. It is incredible to imagine that nobody knew. That nobody told. What was it like living in that culture of secrecy . Did you think about telling other people . Did you think about telling your parents . Did you think about telling other people in your life . , �. ,. , life . Youre right, there was a culture of life . Youre right, there was a culture of secrecy life . Youre right, there was a culture of secrecy and life . Youre right, there was a l culture of secrecy and alongside that, run a very strong, i think the biggest unwritten rule in the school was dont tell tales. Of course, thatis was dont tell tales. Of course, that is very self serving for an abusive environment and i actually felt even writing this book, i felt occasions when my conscience said, youre sneaking, youre telling tales on the school, even now a few decades on. It came from backgrounds, conversations with parents were not as they would be on the hold today. I didnt tell anyone until, in fact, the first Family Member is i told my two surviving sisters who are in their mid to late 60s and that was about a year and a half ago because i thought i better warn them what was going to come out in this book and they were absolutely stunned. In this book and they were absolutel stunned. ,. , absolutely stunned. Something you write in the book absolutely stunned. Something you write in the book is absolutely stunned. Something you write in the book is that absolutely stunned. Something you write in the book is that when absolutely stunned. Something you| write in the book is that when diana was being sent away to school, she said to your father, if you loved me, you wouldnt leave me here. Do you think she was also hurt or affected by being sent away . First of all, affected by being sent away . First of all. Im so affected by being sent away . First of all, im so proud affected by being sent away . First of all, im so proud of affected by being sent away . F st of all, im so proud of her for of all, im so proud of herfor saying that. It is so incredibly impactful to the point that my father remembered it. I would say that any child i believe under teenage years, under 13, that any child i believe under teenage years, under13, i that any child i believe under teenage years, under 13, i dont think they should be sent away. I dont think its fair. I dont think they can possibly understand what is going on. There are a lot of teenagers who think, great, i want to get away from my parents and thats fine. Of course, it is a personal decision, but i dont think any child personally should be sent away before they hit puberty. Iddhen away before they hit puberty. When ou were away before they hit puberty. When you were there away before they hit puberty. When you were there in away before they hit puberty. When you were there in that away before they hit puberty. When you were there in that terrible environment, you write about how you were self harming, you are making yourself sick, it was very poignant to read of that, of course, also with people being aware of what diana went through. Did you ever discuss those experiences with her . No. Ive not been diagnosed with anything from that time but it is quite clear to me i had bulimia at one stage and mine was very much connected to a need some attention. I sit in the book, ice felt like i was drowning in an adult sea. We had a Metal Chamber pots under our bed in case we were sick and and i used to make myself vomit and i would it to make myself vomit and i would it to the matron to show her and it was, i realise, a complete cry for attention and help and i never discussed that Mental Illness things. Certainly, we grew up together. I dont remember ever discussing anything from Boarding School at all. Is. Discussing anything from Boarding School at all. Discussing anything from Boarding Schoolat all. ,. , school at all. G, though, has such a Reputation School at all. G, though, has such a reputation for school at all. G, though, has such a reputation for being school at all. G, though, has such a reputation for being able school at all. G, though, has such a reputation for being able to school at all. G, though, has such a reputation for being able to show i reputation for being able to show incredible empathy she, though. What do you think she would make of this now, knowing what you went through as a young boy . As a tiny boy . I through as a young boy . As a tiny bo . ~. Through as a young boy . As a tiny bo . ~ ,. , through as a young boy . As a tiny bo . ~ ,. ,. , boy . I think she would have been re boy . I think she would have been pretty cross boy . I think she would have been pretty cross and boy . I think she would have been pretty cross and appalled boy . I think she would have been pretty cross and appalled and, i boy . I think she would have been i pretty cross and appalled and, yeah. I think she would have been stunned, actually. The fact that i went to such a tricky place i think she would have found hard. I such a tricky place i think she would have found hard. I know you dont want would have found hard. I know you dont want to would have found hard. I know you dont want to discuss would have found hard. I know you dont want to discuss the would have found hard. I know you dont want to discuss the specifics | dont want to discuss the specifics around your nephews, william and harry, but do you think that boarding School Experiences have made it harder for the aristocracy in this country to have Healthy Family relationships . I couldnt answer that Family Relationships . I couldnt answer that because Family Relationships . I couldnt answer that because i Family Relationships . I couldnt answer that because i can Family Relationships . I couldnt answer that because i can only| answer that because i can only really talk about myself, i think. It is too personal to trample other peoples family with a view as important as that. My personal view is, i have had several children, i would never send any of them away. If they wanted to go away, they could or cant, two of them chose to go weekly boarding in their mid teens. But ijust couldnt have done it to them. I couldnt have said, right, you are going. Ijust couldnt, it would have broken my heart. ,. , couldnt, it would have broken my heart. , y. ,. ,. , heart. You write, you asked your contemporaries heart. You write, you asked your contemporaries at heart. You write, you asked your contemporaries at school heart. You write, you asked your contemporaries at school to heart. You write, you asked your contemporaries at school to describe what you are like and they used the word angry. What you are like and they used the word angry what you are like and they used the word angry. Yes. And you were angry for a lona word angry. Yes. And you were angry for a long time word angry. Yes and you were angry for a long time and everybody was a witness to some of your completely understandable anger, of course, publicly in september 1997. Did the frustration, do you think, at some of the Ill Treatment of your sister diana from some of that buried hurt from school . I diana from some of that buried hurt from school . From school . I dont think she ever understood from school . I dont think she ever understood why from school . I dont think she ever understood why her from school . I dont think she ever understood why her genuinely from school . I dont think she ever| understood why her genuinely good intentions were sneered at by the media. Why there appeared to be a permanent quest on her behalf to bring her down. It is baffling. My own and only explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. That those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. Those at the opposite end of the moralsectrum. ,. , ,. , moral spectrum. That a sense perhaps that ou moral spectrum. That a sense perhaps that you finally moral spectrum. That a sense perhaps that you finally wanted moral spectrum. That a sense perhaps that you finally wanted to moral spectrum. That a sense perhaps that you finally wanted to