Merlin Holland: Grandson of Oscar Wilde

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Society & Culture, Unknown

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 April 2024

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

21st April is the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, and in celebration of this we're giving you an interview with Merlin Holland, who has an unusual claim to fame. His mother, Thelma Besant, was the late Queen's beauty advisor - her personal makeup artiste - who was present at the Coronation in 1953, as was our guest (then a young boy). Merlin is also the grandson of the great poet, playwright and paragon of late Victorian decadence, Oscar Wilde. Merlin's story, and that of his family, is captivating. His father, Vyvyan Holland, was Wilde's youngest son, but the family were forced to change their name after the scandal of Wilde's trial and imprisonment for gross indecency. Thereafter their life is lived in the shadow of this terrible event. You may not have heard of Merlin Holland, but this episode will introduce you to a fascinating person, whose story is a piece of living history. Thank you to Merlin for bringing this story to life so vividly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:59.9	Hello, thank you for joining me for another episode of Rosebud.
1:03.6	I'm Giles Brandreth, and I'm not alone.
1:06.3	I'm here with the cat.
1:08.5	I say the cat.
1:09.4	It's actually the neighbour's cat, but she's been living with us
1:12.4	for so long that we think of her as our cat. Fortunately, the neighbours are still paying the vets
1:18.5	bills. So they get the downside, we get the upside. And if you hear a gentle purring in the background,
1:25.0	that's because our cat Nala's favorite podcast is undoubtedly
1:30.2	Rosebud. C week I think I say this is a special Rosebud, and I think this week's is a very special rosebud, and I think this week's is a very special rosebud.
2:04.4	We're putting it out now for a reason. The 21st of April marks the birthday of the late queen, Elizabeth II, born on the 21st of April, 1926.
2:16.6	And my guest today had a remarkable mother. His mother was the late
2:22.5	Queen's personal beauty advisor. And in 1953, when Elizabeth II was crowned, my guest was one of the
2:32.1	few non-royals in Buckingham Palace that day. He was there with his mother
2:37.6	who was in charge of the Queen's makeup. My friend is called Merlin Holland. And the reason that I know
	...

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