Communist spy plotted to use queen of skincare Eve Lom to target Princess Diana and infiltrate the Royal Family

A communist spy tried to use ‘queen of skincare’ Eve Lom to target Princess Diana and infiltrate the Royal Family, a Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal.

The Czechoslovakian agent used diplomatic cover to make contact with Mrs Lom in July 1987 in the hope of gaining access to her influential clients, according to declassified state security archives.

At the time, Mrs Lom ran a successful London salon frequented by the rich and famous, and was on her way to turning her skincare brand into a cosmetics giant. 

One of her friends and customers who especially interested the spies was Lady Fermoy, lady-in-waiting and confidante to the Queen Mother, and the grandmother of Princess Diana.

Despite her success, Mrs Lom remained in a vulnerable position. She had defected from her native Czechoslovakia as a teenager in 1968 after the Russian invasion to crush the Prague Spring, but still had relatives in the country who were virtual ‘hostages’. 

Princess Diana talking to her grandmother Ruth, Lady Fermoy

The spy initially approached opera-loving Mrs Lom and tried to strike a deal as she attended a concert of work by Czech composer Josef Suk in Norfolk.

A secret cable sent back to spymasters in Prague noted: ‘Lom is a close friend of Lady Ruth Fermoy (Princess Diana’s grandmother) who was patron of the festival at King’s Lynn and who invited her to the concert. 

Mrs Lom asked me if I could help her get a record of [Jan] Ciker’s opera Juno Janosik. In return, Mrs Lom promised to get Lady Fermoy’s address for the embassy.’

The spy noted that, if the relationship with Mrs Lom was fruitful, they could explore Diana’s grandmother further and ‘find out about her contacts and possibilities’.

However, the agent noted some concerns about Mrs Lom’s character, saying she ‘gives the impression of being a bit snooty’.

Undeterred, he later visited her at her salon, where he delivered the sheet music and libretto for the opera. But while they discussed her ‘select clientele’ in general, she refused to hand over any details about them.

Mrs Lom would have been unaware the agent was a spy as he was posted to the Czechoslovak embassy using the cover of a diplomat.

The spy noted that, if the relationship with Mrs Lom was fruitful, they could explore Diana’s grandmother further and ‘find out about her contacts and possibilities’ 

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday from her penthouse in Central London, Mrs Lom, former wife of Pink Panther actor Herbert Lom, told how dealing with approaches from officials from her homeland during the Cold War was ‘scary’.

‘My family were hostages. That’s how the Czech dictatorship kept its grip,’ she said. ‘Most people won’t understand a totalitarian regime unless they’ve lived under one. But I didn’t give anything.’

She said she would have given the agent a cool reception, adding: ‘Had it been not for the absolutely wonderful Lady Fermoy at the event, do you know what I would have done? I would have broken his nose.’