Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former royal aide to Prince William and Prince Harry, has revealed that his mother, Sue Lowther-Pinkerton, worked for British intelligence agency MI5 during the Cold War. This previously undisclosed chapter of her life has now inspired his debut novel, "Beyond the Edge of Light."
Lowther-Pinkerton, who served as equerry to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and later as a private secretary to the Princes and the Duchess of Cambridge, described his mother's intelligence career as a part of her life she rarely discussed.
"We were watching a documentary one afternoon about 30, 40 years ago," Lowther-Pinkerton told Fox News Digital. "And there was a thing called the ‘Cambridge spy ring,’ which were Soviet agents who had infiltrated the British system. And there was a great mystery about who the fifth man was. And up pops the documentary maker saying, ‘Well, it could be Sir Roger Hollis.’"
His mother, Sue, who died in December 2023 at age 99, reportedly responded without hesitation, stating, "Absolute nonsense. He was a total gentleman and a patriot." This comment was one of the few direct insights Lowther-Pinkerton received into her intelligence work.
Early Life and Auxiliary Territorial Service
Before her time in intelligence, Sue Lowther-Pinkerton lived an adventurous life. During World War II, she worked on NAAFI vans serving troops and painted white lines on roads. In 1942, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women's branch of the British Army. She was later posted to the Royal School of Artillery, where she drove gun limbers on firing ranges, a dangerous task that earned her extra pay.
Post-War Intelligence Career
After the war, Sue's career moved into the realm of secret service. She joined MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, and worked during the Cold War. Lowther-Pinkerton learned of his mother's intelligence career in his mid-20s. According to The Telegraph's obituary, Sue also worked in Army intelligence in Singapore after leaving the military in 1948, handling secret communications related to the HMS Amethyst's breakout from China's Yangtze River in 1949.
Returning to Britain in 1951, she joined MI5 at Leconfield House but remained guarded about her specific duties. Lowther-Pinkerton described his mother as an "incredibly wild" young woman, raised in India, who didn't see her parents for extended periods. She received numerous marriage proposals before marrying Anthony Hull Lowther-Pinkerton.
Family Life and Later Years
Sue Lowther-Pinkerton left MI5 in 1956 to start a family. In her later years, she was dedicated to the Poppy Appeal, a fundraising campaign for veterans, and delivered Meals on Wheels to remote communities.
Lowther-Pinkerton's Royal Service and Literary Inspiration
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton's own career included serving as an equerry to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, whom he remembered fondly for her sharp memory and sense of humor. He later served as a private secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2013, acting as a mentor to the princes. His son, Billy, was a page at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Lowther-Pinkerton himself became a godfather to Prince George.
He stated that the strong women in his life, particularly his mother, have inevitably influenced his writing. "Somebody of strength, somebody who has their own opinions and is not going to be pushed around," he said of the legacy he hopes his mother leaves with readers, reflected in the central character of his novel, Missie, a rebellious young woman who joins military intelligence.