The evening after Dorothy’s remarkable comeback concert at the London Palladium in December 1970, Emily attended the Variety Club of Great Britain’s annual Christmas dinner, which took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane. Dorothy, who was accompanied for the occasion by Simon Oates, the actor (who was then starring in the popular BBC TV series Doomwatch) who had brought her onstage the previous evening, was one of the last guests to arrive at the function.
Emily recalls: “Most people were already seated at their tables when Dorothy walked down the main staircase into the banqueting suite. It was the most incredibly emotional scene because just about everyone in the room rose to their feet and applauded Dorothy, because of her fantastic London Palladium stage triumph. It was one of those moments that was unforgettable and she was really very moved.”
Emily also remembers the Variety Club lunch for another reason. “At some point in the proceedings Dorothy, who was hosting a table for about 20 guests, said she needed to go to the ladies, and asked me to go with her. I couldn’t understand why and then I realised … Roger (Moore) and his wife Luisa were seated at a nearby table, and Dorothy went out of her way to deliberately walk past them, and make sure that she was seen. The amusing thing was that both Roger and Luisa cowered as we passed, as if they were expecting Dorothy to hit them! To my knowledge that was probably the first time Dorothy had seen Roger since their marriage break-up.”
Despite the acrimony of her aunt’s separation and eventual divorce from Roger Moore, Emily retains fond memories of her former uncle-by-marriage. She recalls how, when she was a young child, Roger would stand by her bed, playing a guitar and ‘singing’ to her. “Well his guitar strumming wasn’t too bad, but I have to say that his singing left a lot to be desired!” Emily smiles. “Let’s just say that it was no great surprise to me when, some three decades later, Roger pulled out of his singing role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical Aspects Of Love before it had even opened.”© 2004 www.dorothysquires.co.uk
