Penny Junor

Penny Junor – Life, Work, and Legacy

Explore the life of Penny Junor — English journalist, broadcaster, and royal biographer. Discover her background, major works, approach to biography, and her influence on how the British monarchy is portrayed in popular media.

Introduction

Penny Junor (born 6 October 1949) is an English journalist, biographer, and broadcaster best known for her many books on members of the British royal family and her decades of media work. With a talent for weaving narrative and nuance, she has shaped how many readers view the monarchy, while also producing biographies on politicians, cultural figures, and her own family. Her career straddles journalism, television, memoir, and biography, making her a distinctive voice in modern British media.

Early Life and Family

Penny Junor was born Penelope Jane Junor on 6 October 1949 in Leatherhead, Surrey, England.
Her father was Sir John Junor, a prominent newspaper editor (particularly of the Sunday Express) and controversial columnist. Her mother’s life is less public, but Penny has in memoir writings described having a complex and sometimes difficult relationship with her father, in part because of his strong and domineering personality.

She is one of at least two children; her brother Roderick Junor was a leader writer for The Daily Telegraph and also acted as a speechwriter for Margaret Thatcher at times.

Junor spent her earliest years partly on the estate of Lord Beaverbrook, because Beaverbrook owned interests tied to her father’s role and persuaded her father to relinquish political ambitions in favor of journalism. The family later moved to Charlwood in Surrey.

For schooling, Penny attended Benenden School in Kent. She later enrolled at the University of St Andrews to study history, but left during her second year to marry.

Youth, Marriage, and Early Career

During her time at St Andrews, she met James Leith (brother of Prue Leith), who later became a restaurateur. The two married in 1970.

After leaving university, Junor trained as a journalist with IPC Young Magazines and secured a position as a feature writer for 19 Magazine. She then moved on to the London Evening Standard, writing features.

When her family grew, she shifted to freelancing, writing in evenings and quieter times, sometimes from cramped spaces in her home. Over time, her bylines expanded into national newspapers, magazines, and eventually books.

Career in Journalism, Broadcasting & Biography

Television and Broadcasting

Junor’s media career took off in 1981, when she began presenting a programme called Collecting Now. In 1982, she became a presenter and reporter on 4 What’s It Worth?, a consumer affairs program on Channel 4. She remained associated with it through the 1980s.

Between 1984 and 1985, she co-presented The Afternoon Show on BBC1 alongside singer Barbara Dickson.

From 1988 to 1997, Junor was a main presenter on Travel Show Guides on BBC2, alongside Matthew Collins and others.

These roles gave her visibility and also sharpened her skills in conveying narrative, interviewing, and research across a variety of topics.

Writing & Royal Biography

Over the years across journalism and broadcasting, Junor became particularly known for writing royal biographies. She has published books on:

• Diana, Princess of Wales (1982)

• Charles, Prince of Wales (editions in 1987 and 1998)

• Charles and Diana: Portrait of a Marriage (1991)

• The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor (2005)

• Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King (2012)

• Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son (2014)

• The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown (2017)

• All the Queen’s Corgis (2018)

In addition to royal figures, she has written biographies and works on Margaret Thatcher (1983), Richard Burton (1986), John Major (1993), and memoirs.

She has also engaged in ghostwriting and collaborative memoirs, including Wonderful Today with Pattie Boyd (2007) , My Life, My Way with Sir Cliff Richard (2008) , and work with Shaun Ellis on The Man Who Lives With Wolves (2009)

Her biography of her father, Home Truths: Life Around My Father (2002), presents a more personal and sometimes critical view of her family background.

Her writing about the Waleses is said to have “alienated” both Charles and Diana at times; she has mentioned in interviews that the experience was one of the most difficult in her career.

Beyond books, she has written for the Evening Standard, and had a column in Private Eye for several years.

Approach, Style & Themes

Penny Junor’s approach to biography often emphasizes balance, access, and human detail. She combines archival research, interviews, and her own observations to render public figures in a more textured way. Over time, she has moved from being a “royal expert” to someone who tries to portray both institution and individual with nuance.

She has said that her first book on Diana came by chance—due to being offered the project—and that she did not originally see herself as a full-time royal biographer. But the success of that work and others cemented that reputation.

Her personal memoir and reflections on her father suggest she is willing to turn the lens inward and confront difficult truths about power, family, and identity.

In broadcasting, she has worked across topics — consumer affairs, travel, and royal commentary — giving her a well-rounded media presence.

Personal Life & Legacy

Penny and James Leith married in 1970, and the couple has four children. Their eldest son is Sam Leith, a journalist, author, and broadcaster. Another son, Alexander Leith, is a documentary maker and TV producer. Daughter Peta Leith (now Peta Leith Boateng) is a cookery writer; and Jack Leith works as a cabinetmaker.

She has also been involved in charitable and advocacy work. For example, she has been a patron of Women’s Health Concern (the patient arm of the British Menopause Society) and involved with Beat (the eating disorders charity). She has volunteered with the Samaritans and been a trustee for related organizations.

Her father, Sir John Junor, died in 1997. He remains a controversial figure in British journalism history, known for sharp opinions, populist language, and prominent public commentary.

In terms of legacy, Penny Junor is widely recognized as one of Britain’s leading royal biographers. Her books have shaped the public image of the monarchy, particularly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Her willingness to mix public and private perspectives gives her work both popular appeal and academic interest.

Although the monarchy remains a contested institution, her biographies often serve as reference points for readers, journalists, and scholars alike. Her career shows how journalism, biography, and broadcasting can intersect to influence public perceptions of power, tradition, and personality.