Penelope Jane Junor (born 6 October 1949) is an English journalist and author.

Early life and education

Born in Leatherhead, Surrey, Junor was educated at

Benenden School Benenden School is an independent boarding school for girls in Kent, England, in Hemsted Park at Benenden, between Cranbrook and Tenterden. Benenden has a boarding population of over 550 girls aged 11 to 18, as well as a limited number of da ...

in Kent. Her father was the newspaper editor Sir John Junor and her brother Roderick (1947–2000), to whom she was very close throughout his life, was a leader writer for ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' and speechwriter for

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

. She studied history at

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, but left in her second year to get married.Natalie Graha
"Fame & Fortune: Royal biographer lived the real Good Life"
''The Times'', 5 June 2005

Career

Junor started out on television in 1981, aged 32, presenting a programme called ''Collecting Now'' when she worked as a reporter. The following year in 1982 she presented ''4 what's it worth'' which was an award-winning consumer programme broadcast by Channel 4 in which she worked as an investigative reporter and presenter. This programme continued until 1989. In addition she also co-presented ''The Afternoon Show'' on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

with singer

Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include 'I Know Him So Well', 'Answer Me' and 'January February'. Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK Albums Chart from 1977 to date, and had a n ...

from 1984 to 1985. Junor was the main presenter (1988–1997) of the ''

Travel Show A travel documentary is a documentary film, television program, or web series, online series that describes travel in general or tourist attractions without recommending particular package deals or tour operators. A travelogue film is an early typ ...

Guides'' on

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

alongside Matthew Collins (Collins named 'The Special Assignments Man' did all the travelling) and

John Kettley John Graham Kettley (born 11 July 1952 in Halifax, West Yorkshire) is an English freelance weather forecaster. Early life He was educated at Todmorden Grammar School, he played cricket for Burnley and Todmorden. A geography teacher at his school ...

presented the weather forecast for the holiday destination for the forthcoming week or so. The guides were brief and concise films enabling holidaymakers to learn about the resort that was highlighted before travelling there. Junor has written several books about the British royal family; she has written biographies of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

(1982) and

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

(1987 and 1998), and ''Charles and Diana: Portrait of a Marriage'' (1991). ''The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor'' followed in 2005. Her work on the Waleses "alienated" both of them and she reportedly considers the experience the worst of her career. She has also written and had published a book titled ''Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King''. This biography of

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

ends with his marriage to

Catherine Middleton Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely next ...

. Junor's biography of

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

, ''Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son'', was published in 2014. Junor's other books include works on

(1983), actor

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

(1986) and

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...

(1993). She subsequently said in an interview that she found Major to be a failure as a British prime minister. In 2007, she co-authored ''

Wonderful Today ''Wonderful Today'', subtitled ''The Autobiography'', is the 2007 autobiography by English former fashion model and photographer Pattie Boyd, written with journalist and broadcaster Penny Junor. It was published by Headline Review in Britain, on ...

'' with

Pattie Boyd Patricia Anne Boyd (born 17 March 1944) is an English model and photographer. She was one of the leading international models during the 1960s and, with Jean Shrimpton, epitomised the British female look of the era. Boyd married George Harri ...

, the former fashion model and former wife of English rock stars

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

and

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

. Junor assisted

Sir Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

in writing the number one best selling ''My Life, My Way'' (2008) which sold over 250,000 copies and Shaun Ellis with his book ''The Man Who Lives with Wolves'' (2009). Her father, John Junor, was the subject of her book ''Home Truths: Life Around My Father'' (2002), "an unflattering account". Junor has worked for the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' and a column for ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...

'' lasted five years.

Personal life

Junor married ex-restaurateur James Leith (the brother of Prue) in 1970. She has four children with her husband; their eldest son is the journalist

Sam Leith Sam Leith (born 1 January 1974) is an English author, journalist and literary editor of ''The Spectator''. After an education at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, Leith worked at the revived satirical magazine ''Punch'', before moving to the ' ...

Bibliography

* Junor, Penny
''Diana, Princess of Wales: A Biography''
Sidgwick & Jackson, 1982. ISBN 9780283988431. * Junor, Penny
''Charles and Diana: Portrait of a Marriage''
Trafalgar Square, 1991. ISBN 9780747203506. * Junor, Penny

Longmeadow Press, 1992. ISBN 9780681414723. * Junor, Penny

HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN 9780002559003. * Junor, Penny

Bertrams Print On Demand, 2009 005 ISBN 9780007326464. * Junor, Penny

Open Road Media, 2012. ISBN 9781453264836. * Junor, Penny

Grand Central Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781455549849. * Junor, Penny
''The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair that Rocked the Crown''
HarperCollins, New York, 29 June 2017. ISBN 9780062471123. * Junor, Penny

Hodder & Stoughton, 2018. ISBN 9781473686755.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Junor, Penny 1949 births Living people 20th-century British women writers 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 20th-century biographers Celebrity biographers Channel 4 presenters English biographers English memoirists English people of Scottish descent English women journalists London Evening Standard people People educated at Benenden School Women biographers