Royalty and the Reich Eddie Ford reviews Channel 4's 'Queen Elizabeth and the spy in the palace', directed by Andy Webb This documentary might not have revealed anything radically new, let alone provided solid or incontrovertible proof for its main contentions. But it certainly told the story with some verve and panache, helped by plenty of fascinating archive footage and photos - some of which I had never seen before. Therefore it is worth watching, especially if you are not particularly familiar with the subject matter. The spy in question is Anthony Blunt, third cousin to the Queen Mother. He spent most of his early life in France, and his mother had been close friends with Mary of Teck, wife of King George V. In fact, Blunt’s family were dressed in her “cast-off” clothes, as we discovered during the programme. He was also director of the Courtauld Institute, Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures and an acknowledged expert on the art of Nicolas Poussin. In other words, Sir Anthony Blunt KCVO spent decades at the very epicentre of the royal family and the British establishment.