The Dirty Duchess | Argyll vs Argyll | 3

The gloves come off in Britain's nastiest divorce as Margaret and Ian's years of marital warfare reach their explosive finale. But in 1960s high society, a woman’s reputation is guilty until proven innocent. Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at [email protected] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alice Levine?

  Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

• 0:14Alice Levine?

  Oh, Matt, you look like death warmed up.

• 0:16Matt Forde?

  I feel awful. It was such a big night last night. I think I had about 15 pints and then I remember getting a kebab. I think I remember puking it up. I feel terrible.

• 0:26Alice Levine?

  Oh, my god, they're the best nights, though, right? This was really fun. I kind of had a similar one, actually. I don't really remember it, but I did wake up next to a half-eaten falafel, so it must have been a bender.

• 0:37Matt Forde?

  Alice, what's the matter with you?

• 0:38Alice Levine?

  What?

• 0:39Matt Forde?

  It's disgusting behaviour.

• 0:41Alice Levine?

  You literally just said the same thing.

• 0:43Matt Forde?

  Yeah, but I'm a bloke. It's different. What you're doing, it's not very ladylike.

• 0:47Alice Levine?

  Ladylike?

• 0:48Matt Forde?

  Yeah, and, I mean, while we're on the subject, would it kill you to put a bit of makeup on sometimes? Or even just comb your hair?

• 0:55Alice Levine?

  You're literally wearing a tracksuit.

• 0:57Matt Forde?

  Yeah, but that suit's like the male train, doesn't it? This is comfortable, anyway. You should dress up a bit more. Make the most of yourself.

• 1:04Alice Levine?

  OK, I'm actually gonna walk away now before I say something I regret.

• 1:08Matt Forde?

  Oh, if you're getting up, will you stick the kettle on? I'm spitting feathers in here.

• 1:18Alice Levine?

  1963, The People newspaper's offices, London. Neil Phillips presses his phone to his ear, tries to block out the noisy newsroom around him. Are you sure it's him, not just someone from his department? Neil looks up to see his editor at his office window. Phillips, office! He frantically scribbles down the last of what he's just been told, then reads it back. Usually, notes like this would make him think he'd been talking to a nutter. But he knows this source, and if this is right, he's sitting on dynamite. Phillips, now!

• 2:00Alice Levine?

  Neil bundles up his notes and heads to his editor's office. I think I have something. He eyes his editor's twitching jaw as he flips open his notepad and carefully slides over a photocopied sheet.

• 2:15Alice Levine?

  Neil watches as his editor's eyes bulge.

• 2:20Alice Levine?

  Christ, Phillips. I didn't take you for a pervert. Neil fidgets, peers over the page, points towards a grainy reproduction of an image in the centre. An elegant woman's dark bouffant hairstyle, she's kneeling in front of a man's groin. A triple-strand pearl necklace sitting high on her neck. And her delicate arm is reaching up to the man's naked penis. The picture cuts off at his torso.

• 2:52Alice Levine?

  Neil hesitates. The fingers are slender. The jewellery's just like hers. He watches in anticipation as his editor's face breaks out into a grin. Christ, man! It's the Duchess!

• 3:10Alice Levine?

  His editor grabs the photocopy from the table, brings it to his face.

• 3:14Matt Forde?

  Yeah, you have a good old close look at it, mate. Just, this is for journalism, you understand. I need to, I'm gonna have to take this home and really, really study it.

• 3:24Alice Levine?

  But if we can't tell who it actually is... Neil looks down at his notepad, checks the name he's written, his mind fizzing. I'm told word around Westminster is this headless geezer is Duncan Sands.

• 3:40Alice Levine?

  His editor leans in. The Defence Minister. Uneven more than a single-sourced whisper.

• 3:46Matt Forde?

  We should be clear. He's only headless in the photo.

• 3:49Alice Levine?

  Yes. Easier to identify if it was always.

• 3:52Matt Forde?

  She's actually fellated a Georgian apparition. It's a very strange case, boss.

• 4:02Alice Levine?

  Neil hears his phone ringing. He nods to his editor, then rushes back. It's his source again. He throws himself down in his seat, bites the lid off his pen. Number 10's got wind of the rumours. PM's frantic. Can't risk another profumo.

• 4:22Alice Levine?

  Neil stops writing. He realises this is not the story he thought it was. This isn't just a bit of lurid society gossip anymore. This dirty Duchess is about to explode nationally. And Margaret Campbell might be about to bring the country to its knees.

• 4:44Alice Levine?

  She's not the only one, etc. Somebody's got to do it. Come on, I'm sort of the only one that can. Come on.

• 4:56Speaker 02

  Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on the Continental Army and secretly defects. He plots to hand over the most important fortress in the colonies to the British and doom the revolution he once served. Listen to American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 5:16Speaker 03

  In New Orleans, truckers kept getting sideswiped the exact same way. When a man is found murdered under questionable circumstances related to these accidents, the rubber hits the road. Listen to Over My Dead Body, Operation Sideswipe, wherever you get your podcasts.

• 5:41Alice Levine?

  I'm Alice Levine.

• 5:42Matt Forde?

  And I'm Matt Ford.

• 5:44Alice Levine?

  And this is British Scandal.

• 5:54Alice Levine?

  Oh, Matt, it is not looking good for poor old Margaret Campbell. At the end of the last episode, her more or less estranged husband, Ian, declared he'd be divorcing her. She hasn't really been very lucky in love, has she? Do you feel sorry for her?

• 6:10Matt Forde?

  Yes, I do. That sympathy is tempered a little bit by her character because she is a bit of a rogue character. Obviously, Ian is a money grabbing, cheating, gambling drunk. But let's not forget that she at one point had a master plan to fake a pregnancy and buy a Polish baby.

• 6:28Alice Levine?

  You're still banging on about that?

• 6:29Matt Forde?

  I'm prepared to move on, but I do think we need to be reminded of how insane a plan that was. And when it was clear that wasn't going to work, she went one better and cast out on the paternity of Ian's kids, so that the castle would eventually go to her and not them. Those innocent children were just collateral damage in her plan. So she's not the easiest person to want to throw a protective arm around.

• 6:49Alice Levine?

  In that case, would you say that you are Team Ian?

• 6:52Matt Forde?

  No, I wouldn't say I'm Team Ian regarding my previous remarks. He's a money-grabbing, cheating, gambling drunk. But I do have a bit of sympathy for him at the moment where she tries to convince him his kids aren't his, because that must have been very difficult. So in that specific context, a little bit of sympathy.

• 7:07Alice Levine?

  I think it's important to remember when we're analysing all the things that have gone before, that her actions are often reactions to what she's had to put up with at the hands of her husband. She's really been pushed to the limits. And as a woman at this time, you know, she doesn't have the autonomy that he is afforded. It's just not a level playing field. All of that to say, the stage is now set for what we presume will be an epic battle. Who do you think will emerge victorious?

• 7:37Matt Forde?

  I've got a little quote from the former Nottingham Forest manager and football pundit, Big Ron Atkinson. I'm gonna make a prediction here, it could go either way.

• 7:46Alice Levine?

  One of the great thinkers of our time. Thank you for that, very moving. Well, let's find out. This is episode three, Argyll versus Argyll.

• 7:59Alice Levine?

  Three years previously, Edinburgh. Ian Campbell tosses a folder onto his solicitor's desk, a grin creeping across his face. He watches as his lawyer extracts two sheets of paper, the forged letter Margaret wrote posing as Louise, and the template of chopped up words she'd made to trace it. He takes a deep drag from his cigarette. Everything is finally falling into place. Life has been peaceful since Maggie moved out of the castle, back to her flat in London. But now he'll be able to divorce her properly, take her for every penny he can, pay off

• 8:41Alice Levine?

  his mounting debts, and squash that squalid little woman once and for all.

• 8:48Alice Levine?

  The lawyer squints, scrutinising both pages carefully, then hands them back.

• 8:55Alice Levine?

  I'm sorry, but this isn't grounds for divorce. Ian nearly chokes. She tried to defraud my children, painted my boys as illegitimate to steal their inheritance. It's all there, in black and white. His lawyer looks unmoved. Has she admitted to being the author? Ian grumbles. She's hardly bloody likely to, is she? The lawyer clasps his hands, places them on his desk. Your Grace, the bar for divorce in this country is extremely high. What I need to see is something concrete, something that proves either cruelty, desertion, infidelity or insanity. It needs to be recent and it needs to be incontrovertible.

• 9:42Matt Forde?

  Sounds like the divorce laws have changed a bit since those days.

• 9:47Alice Levine?

  Yeah, they were only a few years out. 1969 is when the laws for divorce were reformed. So at this point, you can't just be like, they're an absolute piece of work.

• 9:56Matt Forde?

  Also, they're quite regressive divorce laws, but they're kind of going in her favour as a result.

• 10:03Alice Levine?

  Yeah, never thought I'd say that I felt sorry for Ian Campbell, but he's holding a forged letter and all of the materials to make that forged letter. And the solicitor's saying, what do you want me to do with it?

• 10:17Alice Levine?

  Ian snatches up his file, stuffs it moodily into his briefcase and is about to leave when he's struck by a recollection. The night I found this, she was with another man. I'm certain something was going on between them. The lawyer shrugs. Do you know the man? Ian shakes his head.

• 10:39Alice Levine?

  Were there any witnesses? Ian grits his teeth. No. The lawyer returns his attention to his paperwork. Evidence, Your Grace. Supposition is not enough. Ian scowls. And then it hits him. Her diary.

• 10:58Alice Levine?

  He looks up at the clock. It's 4:30pm. He could catch a train to London this evening. It would get in late, but that would be perfect. Because tonight, under the cover of darkness, he's going to sneak into Maggie's flat and get the proof he needs to bring that wretched woman down.

• 11:21Matt Forde?

  Okay, so his plan is to effectively break into her home, steal her diary in order to prove that she's the bad one.

• 11:30Alice Levine?

  Exactly. Use her conquests and her affairs against her. But this is coming from a man who definitely hasn't been faithful, has been manipulative, he's gaslit her. He's essentially an abusive husband. But he knows there's a double standard.

• 11:45Matt Forde?

  Yes, and it's not just that he realizes the norms of the time will protect him. He doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. And yet, he's genuinely outraged when she does the same.

• 11:57Alice Levine?

  "Norms of the time" is such a good point because we think of the 1960s often as this progressive moment, as this move forward in sexual politics, particularly for women, the introduction of the pill obviously being a game changer. But the law of the time just didn't match up with that discourse or with those attitudes. So here with Maggie and Ian, you know, Maggie was very much Ian's property in his mind. So whatever action he took, he felt completely justified.

• 12:27Alice Levine?

  Two days later, Chancery Lane, London. Margaret storms into her solicitor's office, a telegram from Ian clutched in her fist. "I want that bastard arrested." She slams it down on the desk. "He broke into my flat in the dead of the night and stole my diary. Trespass and burglary. I want to see him dangle."

• 12:51Matt Forde?

  "All right, it's not one of your photos."

• 12:53Alice Levine?

  She seethes with indignation as her lawyer motions for her to sit. "I appreciate the strength of feeling, Your Grace, but I'm afraid we must be realistic." Margaret perches, too agitated to sit still. "Well..." What can we do then? Standard procedure is to submit a counter petition. Attempt to divorce him before he can divorce you. However. What?

• 13:23Alice Levine?

  The Duke's case against you seems extensive.

• 13:29Alice Levine?

  He shuffles through some documents. As well as claims that you slandered his ex-wife, and attempted to defraud his sons, he's presented a list of men with whom he believes you had extramarital relations.

• 13:45Alice Levine?

  He hands her a sheet of paper. Eighty-eight in total. Margaret feels her jaw fall slack. You don't honestly think I've slept with all those men, do you? She gawps in disbelief as her lawyer's cheeks redden. Forgive me, Your Grace. This is delicate, but your husband is also submitting a set of photographs. Her stomach plunges. Explicit images he claims depict you intimately pleasuring an anonymous man.

• 14:22Alice Levine?

  Her vision starts to sway. In all the haze of the break-in, she'd completely forgotten about those Polaroids tucked in the back sleeve of her diary. We're trying to have it all rendered inadmissible as evidence, but I should warn you, the Duke may attempt to use this material some other way. Her stammer kicks hard in her throat. Li- li- li- like what? A regretful look flashes in her lawyer's eyes. The press.

• 14:55Alice Levine?

  She grabs at the armrest, digs her fingers hard into the wood.

• 14:59Matt Forde?

  Unfortunate phrase.

• 15:00Alice Levine?

  If we were to proceed with a counter petition, do you have any evidence on which to make a case?

• 15:08Alice Levine?

  Margaret flounders. Her mind is in absolute free. I, I don't, I don't know. You have time to consider, but if this goes to trial and you are found guilty of adultery, damages at this scale could be substantial, up to half your holdings. So your best course may be to settle and accept fault.

• 15:33Alice Levine?

  The words hit Margaret like a hammer. If anyone is at fault for their marriage collapsing, it's Ian. And she'll be damned if he gets so much as a shilling out of her.

• 15:44Alice Levine?

  She may not know how to make a case for divorce, but if Ian's going to try and humiliate her, then she's damn well going to return fire.

• 16:00Alice Levine?

  Two weeks later, the dining room in Verrary Castle.

• 16:05Alice Levine?

  Ian dabs some yolk from the corner of his mouth, dumps his napkin on his plate and grabs up his newspaper. He turns to the society column and looks again at that magnificent headline. Diary of a Dirty Duchess. He's amazed at the gusto with which the press has gone crazy for the details he's leaked. He'd worried Maggie was a bit past it to be of interest, but clearly not. He flicks on to the racing pages when his housekeeper enters. Solicitor on the phone, your grace, says it's rather urgent.

• 16:42Alice Levine?

  Four hours later, Ian bursts through his solicitor's door.

• 16:45Matt Forde?

  What the bloody hell is going on?

• 16:48Alice Levine?

  His solicitor stands. Thank you for coming at such short notice, your grace. I'm afraid there's been a development regarding your evidence. Ian sits, pulls out a cigarette, chomps moodily on the filter. Your wife disputes your claim that the photos you've presented depict an act of adultery.

• 17:10Matt Forde?

  I cannot wait to hear this.

• 17:13Alice Levine?

  He takes a confused drag.

• 17:16Matt Forde?

  What? She's not a bloody

• 17:18Alice Levine?

  Cock in her mouth.

• 17:21Alice Levine?

  The solicitor gently clears his throat. Don't, you're better than that. Don't. Don't.

• 17:29Alice Levine?

  This episode is rife with opportunities for you to go to your lowest point, okay? Don't be the lowest common denominator.

• 17:39Matt Forde?

  I'll try for second lowest.

• 17:42Alice Levine?

  The Duchess maintains the penis in question is yours. Ian splutters, sending spit and smoke flying.

• 17:51Alice Levine?

  What? Bullshit! She's lying! He gapes in astonishment at his solicitor's stolid expression. The court will require proof of your assertion. Ian feels his face drain as he sees a stern-looking man enter.

• 18:11Alice Levine?

  And snap on a latex glove. If you could step behind this curtain, please, Your Grace. Ian fumes, furious they've taken such obvious bait. But if he refuses, it's going to look suspicious. He stands, stubs at his cigarette, then marches behind the curtain to unbutton his fly. Ian takes in a sharp breath as he feels a gloved finger and thumb lift his penis.

• 18:41Matt Forde?

  This has escalated so quickly, he's like, hang on, why is she cheating on me? And I've got to get my knob out. What? Is this really the best way we could be doing this?

• 18:49Alice Levine?

  Are they lifting it so that they can maybe put it on a silk backdrop?

• 18:52Matt Forde?

  Yeah, like an auction at Sotheby's.

• 18:55Matt Forde?

  This next lot is the cock and balls of Serena Campbell.

• 19:00Alice Levine?

  Ian stares up at the corner of the ceiling, studiously avoiding eye contact as the doctor inspects its underside. After what feels like an eternity of it being twisted and twiddled, his penis is finally released. He replaces it immediately. Well? The urologist stands, removing his gloves. The Duke is correct. Both the penis and the pubic hair depicted in the photographs is significantly more substantial. The dimensions here simply do not compare. Ian jabs his shirt back in, angry that his lesser dimensions will now be a matter of legal record.

• 19:38Matt Forde?

  Can I just remind the court that those dimensions are simply a snapshot in time? And not the size it always is.

• 19:45Alice Levine?

  On another matter, the Duchess is requesting a day's reprieve from the restraining order you recently acquired against her in order to collect her belongings from Inverary.

• 19:57Alice Levine?

  A bitter laugh escapes Ian. The audacity of Maggie, asking for a favor after this. He turns, about to explain exactly where Maggie can shove a day's reprieve, but then stops. His mood brightens as he realizes what Maggie will find if she goes to Inverary and tries to take her things away. The thought raises a fresh smile. Why, of course. Tell her I'd be delighted.

• 20:31Alice Levine?

  Two weeks later, Inverary, late afternoon. Margaret is wrapping up one final heirloom in her Inverary dressing room. A Clan Campbell brooch Ian gave her. Ian has granted her access from dawn until dusk. She's just spent the last 10 hours working her way through the castle's 40 rooms, carefully packing her belongings, when a voice appears at the door. Your Grace.

• 20:59Alice Levine?

  She turns to see the Inverary estate manager hobbling in. I've just been informed by the Duke that you're here to remove items from the castle. She frowns as she takes in the manager's awkward expression. Regretfully, that won't be possible. I have every right to be here. I have until dusk. She checks the rusty orange sky outside. It's not you, Your Grace. It's the items. There are liens on the assets of the estate. Margaret shuts her eyes, sighs. She is so tired of legal speak. What do you mean, liens?

• 21:41Alice Levine?

  The castle's assets have been used as collateral to underwrite a loan of the duke's. But these are mine. I'm afraid until the debts are settled, they're technically the bank's. She totters, a creeping sense of discomfort climbing her body. She's trying to understand, but he isn't talking sense. These are her belongings.

• 22:07Matt Forde?

  Where's Howard from Halifax when you need him?

• 22:10Alice Levine?

  Even the money-saving expert at this point could at least, you know, carve a path to being out of debt again.

• 22:17Matt Forde?

  I would love to hear Martin Lewis explain. Now, Polaroids fall under a different part of the law, and if you switch to a Lloyd's variable rate, you can keep your saucy Polaroids, but only until the end of the tax year.

• 22:33Alice Levine?

  She grabs her handbag, starts rooting around for her chequebook. Apoplectic she's having to do this again. All the goddamn cheques she's written for him. She's half-blind with rage, but she refuses to be held to ransom. Right then, how much does he owe?

• 22:52Alice Levine?

  The estate manager twiddles his fingers. How much? Uh, 2.5 million, Your Grace.

• 23:06Alice Levine?

  Okay, I know what you're about to ask, so let me give you a bit more information. So this is a combination of his own personal gambling debts, sort of dukedom debts, costs for the castle, taxes, et cetera. And in modern money, that represents 73.5 million pounds.

• 23:26Matt Forde?

  I mean, we're talking Premier League levels of money at this stage.

• 23:30Alice Levine?

  Imagine not knowing that you're in 73.5 million pounds' worth of debt. Margaret feels her insides heave. I'm sorry, Your Grace. I'm afraid you'll need to vacate the grounds now. She looks up, sees the sun has set.

• 23:49Alice Levine?

  Margaret turns, storms out of the castle, smouldering with fury.

• 23:57Alice Levine?

  But as the cold evening air hits her face, she realizes something. Ian has just given her the exact ammunition she needs to take him on. Debts of 2.5 million pounds.

• 24:12Alice Levine?

  All through their marriage, he's been swindling her out of her fortune. If she can prove this divorce is just another desperate stunt for money, she can get his case thrown out, then divorce him herself and leave him to rot. She's going to court, she's going to fight, and she's going to make sure the entire world gets to see Ian Campbell for the cheating, gambling con man he really is.

• 24:44Speaker 04

  Hey, I'm Cassie Depeckle, the host of Against the Odds from Audible Originals. In each episode, we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the people who live to tell the tale. In our latest series, we track the story of Hugh Glass, the real-life revenant that inspired the 2015 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1823, Glass was brutally mauled by a grizzly bear in present-day South Dakota and left for dead. His survival depended on trekking through 350 miles of wilderness alone with grave injuries. But he was driven by his thirst for revenge. Follow Against the Odds wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Against the Odds early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 25:28Speaker 03

  A trucker merges onto the I-10 in New Orleans. He checks his mirrors, the lane is clear, and then boom, impact. A pickup truck, seemingly out of nowhere, scrapes down the side of his 18-wheeler, multiple passengers inside. One man flees the scene, and the driver of the pickup? He doesn't seem all that upset. It didn't feel like a regular accident, because it wasn't. Across the city, truckers are getting sideswiped, all on the same stretch of the same freeway. And behind many of the cases is one person, a Hollywood stunt woman turned personal injury lawyer named Vanessa Moda. Podcast is a story about fake accidents that lead to real consequences.

• 26:10Speaker 03

  And a scheme that ends in betrayal and murder. Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Side Swipe wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• 26:42Alice Levine?

  February 1963, Edinburgh Court of Session. Margaret feels sick as her Bentley pulls up into the courtyard. A crowd, dozens strong, is stood waiting for her. She slides down in her seat, cranes her head from the window. But it's useless. They've already seen her. Reporters rush the car. Photographers start setting off flashes. A noisy rabble inches from her face clambers through the glass. The last two weeks have been hell. Papers filled with sleaze and wild speculation as Ian's attacks in the press have intensified. This whole case is beginning to feel more like a trial by media than a divorce hearing.

• 27:26Alice Levine?

  She looks to the empty seat next to her, wishes dearly that her father was still here. To take her hand, to tell her to stand strong. Collecting her handbag, she steals herself and steps from the car. An explosion of commotion erupts around her, jeering and booing from the crowd. Who's the headless man in the photos, your grace? Are you aware they're calling you the Dirty Duchess, your grace? Any more men to add to your list of eighty-eight, your grace? Margaret tips her head down, platics her coat tight around her and presses forward into the courthouse.

• 28:06Alice Levine?

  From the corner of her eye, she spies a shadow lurking in the corner and recoils in horror when she realizes it's Ian. He breaks away from his lawyers, starts walking towards her. She fixes her gaze forward, picks up her pace. But he's too quick. He steps in front of her. What do you want? She feels her skin crawl. It's not too late, you know, Maggie. You can still put a stop To all this before it gets any worse. He leans in close. I'd be prepared to consider a settlement. Spare us both this whole tawdry circus. His ashy breath makes her shudder. Two hundred and fifty thousand.

• 28:51Alice Levine?

  Write me a check and I disappear. So does the diary. She feels his eyes bore into her. Along with those photos. For a second, she falters. She would pay any amount if she could be sure this nightmare would end. But she knows it won't. It's not just that Ian would keep coming back, threatening her with ruin every time he needed more cash. It's the press. If she folds now, then this is how she'll be remembered. Weak, shamed, shackled to this story forever.

• 29:29Matt Forde?

  Ian is basically Putin. Any deal you do with him will not be the end of it. You'll keep coming back for more and more and more. You've got to stand up to him. What I'm saying is, it's war.

• 29:41Alice Levine?

  And you're saying Maggie Zelensky?

• 29:43Matt Forde?

  I'm saying Maggie Zelensky. I'm saying that we are the coalition of the willing and we stand behind her almost sixty years later, ready to serve.

• 29:53Alice Levine?

  Coalition of the willy, really?

• 29:55Matt Forde?

  Phenomenal.

• 29:57Alice Levine?

  Margaret can't let that happen. She shoves past him, striding towards the courtroom. The sight of his shocked face giving her a newfound fire as she passes. It's time to force Ian out of the shadows. See how he handles the full force of the public scrutiny. Marching on, Margaret spits out. See you in court.

• 30:31Alice Levine?

  Later that afternoon, the Edinburgh Court of Sessions.

• 30:36Alice Levine?

  Ian raises his left hand, places his right on the Bible, and takes in the scene in front of him. The courtroom is small but packed to the rafters. The jury's bench stuffed full of the British and foreign press. The gallery filled with members of the public. He turns to Maggie, dressed conservatively in a thick tweed jacket and the longest skirt she owns. The desperation of it makes him grin. He sits as her barrister approaches. Your Grace, this is not your first divorce, correct? Ian leans back calmly, nods. Correct. A costly business, divorce. You're a gambling man, are you not?

• 31:21Alice Levine?

  Ian feels his brow knit, unsure where this is going. I enjoy an occasional sporting flutter, yes. An expensive habit for those of us not blessed with luck. How precisely do you fund this hobby? Ian bristles. I received a monthly allowance from my wife. A kept man, well, that is lucky.

• 31:51Alice Levine?

  He hears laughter ripple through the gallery. You also found another method by which to supplement that allowance. By covertly using your wife's assets as collateral for loans. Ian swallows, feels his starched collar scratch against his neck. Those assets are shared, part of the inveraria estate. As the Duke, I am entitled to... He can hear how rattled he sounds. He stops, takes a breath. Look, I've provided indisputable evidence that my wife committed adultery.

• 32:33Alice Levine?

  I fail to see what bearing my finances has on that. The defence turns back to his table. Ah, yes, the photographs. May I ask, what...

• 32:47Speaker 05

  Leads you to believe they depict your wife.

• 32:50Alice Levine?

  Ian snorts.

• 32:52Speaker 05

  Apart from the bathroom filled with mirrors. Bathrooms frequently contain mirrors, your grace.

• 33:00Alice Levine?

  He jostles again.

• 33:01Speaker 05

  How about her necklace? Your wife is hardly alone in wearing pearls. The fact is, we cannot see this woman's face. Her body shows no distinguishing marks. Could it not be that these aren't pictures of your wife at all? But are in fact commercially acquired pornography?

• 33:24Alice Levine?

  A rush of anger courses through Ian.

• 33:27Speaker 05

  No, certainly not!

• 33:30Alice Levine?

  The court falls silent. All he can hear is his pulse.

• 33:34Speaker 05

  Your tone implies distaste, your grace. But for the record, you do possess a sizable collection of pornography, do you not? Do bear in mind, you are under oath.

• 33:49Alice Levine?

  His cheeks burn as the sound of reporters' pens scribbling fills his ears. He passes the next three hours of cross-examination in a daze. Every question chipping away at him unexpectedly. Making him out to be the pervert, a liar, a cheat. As he steps down from the stand, Ian begins to wonder for the first time about his chances of success. He can't afford to lose this case. His legal bills have pushed him to the absolute brink.

• 34:20Matt Forde?

  Cancel the porn subscription, mate.

• 34:24Alice Levine?

  If the judge doesn't rule in his favour, it's all over. What he needs is some insurance. Something guaranteed to undermine Margaret's credibility and finish the job for good. And he has one final ace to play.

• 34:50Alice Levine?

  The following Sunday, Pompadour Restaurant, Edinburgh. Margaret thunders along the pavement of Prince's Street, trailed by reporters snapping at her heels. All week, the attention has been relentless. She was supposed to be having a quiet dinner with her legal team ahead of taking the stand tomorrow, but that won't be happening now. As she enters the lavish dining hall of the Pompadour, Margaret feels the restaurant's ambience collapse. Walking between the tables, she finds herself snagging on the eyes of every diner she passes. Conversations turning to murmurs. It feels as though the entire nation is gripped by speculation

• 35:34Alice Levine?

  of who the man in the Polaroid is. Hollywood actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Duncan Sands, the Defence Minister. I heard it was Prince Philip. The brother of a Nazi scientist. She's sick of it. She keeps pushing forward. He's trying to get me committed! That bastard is trying to put me in an asylum! Her lawyers half-stand in their seats, ushering her to sit and shush, but Margaret won't be tamed. He tried to blackmail my doctor! Her barrister's face clouds over. Your Grace, I implore you to be careful making such accusations in public. But it's true! I just spoke with my doctor.

• 36:18Alice Levine?

  Ian turned up at his surgery, started demanding he refer me for psychiatric evaluation. Threatened to add him to the list if he didn't agree. Her solicitor puts down his fork, glances slyly at the neighboring tables. He breaks into my flat, steals my belongings, defrauds me of god knows how much, tries to get me sent to an asylum! All with no consequence! Am I just supposed to sit here and endure this endless persecution? Your Grace, please, we must stay the course. Things have been going well in court. The Duke appears shifty, unsympathetic. Even some of the papers are turning. Margaret clutches her chest.

• 37:02Alice Levine?

  "Please, don't let him goad you into the realm of unsupported speculation." "Me? He's taken the name of every man in my diary, accused me of sleeping with them. That's far more baseless than anything I'm saying, and everyone believes him because I'm a woman." The lawyers swap uncomfortable looks. "I mean, that's it, isn't it, in a nutshell? Because I dare to be honest about enjoying sex." She's hit the nail on the head, hasn't she? It's not just that she had affairs, or that she had extramarital liaisons, it's that she has spoken about sex in a shameless, proud, enjoyment-focused way.

• 37:45Alice Levine?

  I mean, female pleasure, I would say, is the focus of the discourse only in the last 15 years or something, you know? That feels like such a contemporary idea. So this would have been so transgressive. Her barrister places a hand on the table, smooths out the tablecloth. "Your Grace, however much you wish to settle your scores, on the stand you need to be led by two things: that which you know to be true, and that which you can prove. No more." He signals to a waiter for a glass of water. "You have an honest case to make. Make it." Margaret feels battered, bruised, the weight of endless indignity pressing down on her.

• 38:29Alice Levine?

  She cannot believe she's being asked to bite her tongue while Ian has been so free to run his mouth. There's so much she would kill to say on the stand. However sound her lawyer's advice is, she's up there alone tomorrow, and the only person who gets to decide how much of the truth she's prepared to tell is her.

• 39:02Alice Levine?

  The next morning, Edinburgh, Court of Session. Margaret raises her right hand, swears her oath, then settles in to face Ian's barrister.

• 39:16Alice Levine?

  Your Grace, I'd like to ask about your diary.

• 39:21Matt Forde?

  Next week's pretty busy, but end of the month, I'm a bit more free if you want to meet up.

• 39:26Alice Levine?

  My private diary, that my husband broke into my flat to steal from me.

• 39:33Alice Levine?

  His barrister spins, cocks an exaggerated eyebrow.

• 39:38Alice Levine?

  Forgive me, Your Grace, I'm confused. Until now, you've always maintained that diary was a simple record of social appointments. Now you're asking the court to believe that it does, in fact, contain private information.

• 39:53Alice Levine?

  Margaret's stomach gurgles. It's m- mine, therefore, it's private.

• 40:03Alice Levine?

  He nods. I see. It would certainly explain why you kept this diary tucked out of sight alongside a set of extremely explicit photographs. You know the items to which I refer? She purses her lips. Of course, the entire c- country knows about them now. She hears titters in the gallery. And are you the woman depicted in them? The laughing stops. Journalists in the jury seats sit up, poised. The public gallery leans in, breath baited. Margaret had expected the question, but she still doesn't know how to respond. She takes a breath, looks down at her feet. Then, her answer comes to her.

• 40:51Alice Levine?

  May I see them?

• 40:55Alice Levine?

  She watches the barrister narrow his eyes, think briefly, then motion for the clerk to hand her the photos. Margaret takes them, rifles through them, careful not to let her face betray any emotion. That night had been one of the few bright spots in her life as a Duchess. A thrilling moment of connection and beauty in a time that's been notably lacking in both. She turns to the next photo, squints hard at the image of the back of her head. It's impossible to prove it's her.

• 41:30Alice Levine?

  If she was willing to perjure herself, she could easily deny being this woman. But the more she looks at the image, the more she realises, she doesn't want to deny it. She is this woman, and she isn't ashamed of that. Ian has taken a lot from her over the course of their marriage. Her self-esteem, her sense of freedom. Hundreds of thousands of pounds.

• 41:58Alice Levine?

  Margaret places the Polaroids down on the edge of the dock, returns her hands to her lap, stares pointedly at the group of journalists, then at the barrister. Well, Your Grace? She lets the moment sit, waits until she has the attention of every person in the court. Then, in a crystal-clear voice, no trace of a stutter, she answers.

• 42:24Alice Levine?

  Yes. That's me.

• 42:30Matt Forde?

  That is so brave.

• 42:33Alice Levine?

  I just can't get over it. It's unbelievably courageous. I mean, we've just discussed what it means in that time. But for her, somebody who really values her social standing, she knows what this is going to mean for the future. And for her to stand up and say... I won't feel shame about this. I've done nothing wrong. And you can judge me for it. You can shun me for it. But I am going to make a stand. You presume not just for her, but for other women.

• 43:01Matt Forde?

  Those Polaroids are basically revenge porn. They were private. And just because someone else puts them in the public domain, it doesn't mean you should feel embarrassed about them.

• 43:09Alice Levine?

  Yeah, I think we're still grappling with this idea that people are entitled to a private life, particularly a private sex life. And I think even now, in 2025, it is women who bear the brunt of that shame versus men who generally get social cachet.

• 43:27Alice Levine?

  The press box ignites into chaos. There's uproar from the gallery. The judge clamors to gain some order. Watching it all, Margaret knows the pandemonium she's just unleashed is merely a fraction of what will occur when this makes the papers. She might have just sealed her fate, but she's also made her stand. And for the first time in a long time, she feels proud.

• 44:02Speaker 06

  There are books that change how you see the world. And there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and the Fire Next Time to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead, the president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create.

• 44:46Speaker 06

  Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of A Great Book with Barack Obama ad-free right now. Plus, access each audiobook discussed in the series. Download the Audible app today.

• 45:02Speaker 05

  Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happen in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately, he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived thereafter him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should, digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody wants answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things that come back to haunt us.

• 45:47Speaker 05

  For the best bingeable series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 46:14Alice Levine?

  Two months later, May 1963, Edinburgh Court of Session. Ian walks back into the courtroom, trepidation in each step. The second Maggie admitted her adultery in the dock, he figured he was on velvet. He couldn't see how he could possibly lose. But it's since taken the judge two months to deliberate on this case. And with each day that's passed, his sense of unease has been building. Taking his seat at the front of the packed room, Ian turns to see how Maggie is bearing up, hoping to see her gaunt, frail, plagued with worry. But he doesn't see her at all.

• 46:57Alice Levine?

  There's no sign of her anywhere, not in her seat, not in the public gallery, not in the hall outside. All right. Confused, Ian stands, looks at his watch. Why isn't she here? He rubs his thumb over his knuckles, unable to take his eyes off the judge as he lays out his papers, takes a sip of water, then peers up over the edge of his bench.

• 47:26Alice Levine?

  What we've heard here in this court is the story of a warring couple, a marriage that descended into a bitter game of cat and mouse, blighted by drinking, debt and dishonesty. But among the many recriminations aired here, one thing is clear.

• 47:46Matt Forde?

  He has a small willy.

• 47:50Alice Levine?

  Ian's foot taps rapidly on the floor, his heart in his mouth. Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, is a malicious individual. A yelp almost escapes him.

• 48:05Alice Levine?

  There is enough in her own admissions and proven facts to establish that she was a completely promiscuous woman whose sexual appetite could only be satisfied with a number of men. The room erupts into gasps. It's all Ian can do to keep from bursting with laughter. She is a highly sexed woman who has ceased to be satisfied by normal relations and had started to indulge in disgusting sexual activities to gratify a debased sexual appetite.

• 48:42Matt Forde?

  I don't think that's within the remit of this case for him to say that.

• 48:46Alice Levine?

  Yeah, it's absolutely chilling. He's there to make a legal judgment, not a moral one. He could have said, "Yep, she was adulterous", but instead he's like, "No, I think it's important that I humiliate this woman." Ian steps out of the courtroom, absolutely exhilarated. Congratulations, Your Grace. Ian pumps his lawyer's hand. Bloody marvellous work. You'll come for a drink to celebrate, I hope. Duchess's treat.

• 49:15Alice Levine?

  lawyers' smile. Gather the troops. I'll just need to make a call.

• 49:22Alice Levine?

  Ian walks over to the payphone, looking left and right, making sure the coast is clear, then dials.

• 49:30Alice Levine?

  Hello?

• 49:32Alice Levine?

  Ian places a forearm against the wall, leans into the call. Matilda, good news. I'm free. Oh, my love, is it really over? Ian looks around again. Why don't you go to the venue this afternoon and put down the deposit? Order the cakes, buy the champagne. I can reimburse you the second Maggie coughs up for damages. But I just can't wait a moment longer to be married to you. Ian looks over his shoulder, gives a thumbs up to his lawyers as he sees them leaving for the pub. Yes, darling. I love you too. I'd better go.

• 50:21Alice Levine?

  The next morning, Lotte Saint-Marie, Paris. Margaret drums her fingers on the reception desk, silently willing the concierge to hurry up. Her friend Diana called last night to say the press has got wind of her hiding out in Paris. It's only a matter of time before they find her here. She scans the street outside, pushes her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose, and turns back to the desk. Et voila, madame, you're puzzled. He hands her a brown paper package over the desk, tied in string. But she can't open it here, not where anyone can see. She tucks it under her arm and heads for the lift.

• 51:07Alice Levine?

  Up in her suite, Margaret sits at her writing table, toying with the string. She knows what's inside. She just can't bring herself to look. There was a time when she loved reading her name in the newspaper. Even when the gossip columnists were being catty about her, she still got a certain thrill from it. Now the idea fills her with dread. Mustering her last scrap of courage, she tugs the parcel open, pulls back the wrapping, and looks at the headlines. A wave of fatigue hits her as she runs her eyes across the big, bold type. Divorce for the Dirty Duchess. Disgraced: A Completely Promiscuous Woman.

• 51:52Alice Levine?

  Malicious Margaret: The Inside Story.

• 51:56Matt Forde?

  This is where she's effectively stood a second trial in the court of public opinion.

• 52:01Alice Levine?

  And you can't help but feel like that would have happened, no matter what the result was, in the legal court case. She scans the copy for any mention of Ian. His name is tucked away in tiny paragraphs here and there, but only in passing. His reputation appears utterly unscathed. She slides the whole lot straight off the desk and into the bin. From the bedroom, she hears her boyfriend, Bill, stirring. She stands, makes her way through to him. Loitering in the doorway, she watches him writhe around in the bed sheets, stretching himself awake. He notices her looking. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sits up. Dare I ask?

• 52:46Alice Levine?

  Margaret runs her toe along the threshold of the door. I think it's only fair to tell you that you're stepping out with a disgraced woman. A disgusting harlot with a debased sexual appetite. Bill smiles, opens his arms and ushers her over. And I couldn't be happier about it. She makes her way to him forlornly, lays down on him, curling herself onto his chest. And as Bill gently strokes her hair, she begins to sob. She stays there for a few minutes, then wipes a final tear from her cheek and places a hand on Bill's chest. She pushes herself up to look him in the eye.

• 53:32Alice Levine?

  "Will you promise me something?" He raises an eyebrow. "What?" "Never, ever, ask me to marry you." Bill smiles. Margaret can't help but smile in return. "I promise." She returns her head to his chest, right where his heart is beating. "Good. You're much too good for marriage. And so am I."

• 54:08Alice Levine?

  Argyll versus Argyll was the costliest divorce of its time. Margaret ended up having to pay Ian the equivalent of about 1.4 million pounds in today's money. Six weeks after his divorce was granted, Ian Campbell remarried, his fourth and final wife, Matilda Costa Mortimer. Unknown to Matilda at the time of their marriage, Ian had previously had an affair with her mother. He died 10 years later, in 1973, leaving Inverary and the Duchy of Argyll to his son, Ian. Margaret never remarried. Having burned through her inheritance, her debts forced her to move from her Mayfair flat into the Grosvenor Hotel. The hotel evicted her in 1990 over non-payment of bills.

• 54:53Alice Levine?

  She died in Penney in 1993. She never revealed the identity of the Headless Man.

• 55:07Alice Levine?

  I'm Gemma Whelan, and in the new season of The Spy Who, we tell the story of the original femme fatale, The Spy Who Was Mata Hari. A famous dancer turned World War I secret agent, accused of seducing Allied officers to uncover their plans. But was she a temptress or a scapegoat for French failures? Follow The Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of The Spy Who Was Mata Hari, early and at free on Audible.

• 55:37Speaker 02

  In the summer of 1881, US Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greeley and 24 other men embarked on an ambitious scientific mission to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. But despite several triumphs of discovery, the men would soon face tragedy. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American History Tellers. We take you to the events, times, and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles, and our dreams. In our latest series, after Adolphus Greeley and his men arrive at their destination, more than 1,000 miles above the Arctic Circle, they get to work collecting scientific data and exploring the frigid landscape. But when resupply ships fail to reach them two summers in a row, they're forced to set out on a desperate

• 56:20Speaker 02

  search for rescue, and not all of them will make it home. Follow American History Tellers wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American History Tellers Greeley Arctic Expedition early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 56:41Alice Levine?

  From Wondery and Samizat Audio, this is the third episode in our series, The Dirty Duchess.

• 56:47Matt Forde?

  A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatizations are based on historical research.

• 56:54Alice Levine?

  If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read The Grit in the Pearl by Lindsey Spence, The Duchess Who Dared by Charles Castle, and you can watch A Very British Scandal from the BBC and Amazon.

• 57:06Matt Forde?

  If you've got a scandal you'd like us to cover, get in touch. [email protected].

• 57:11Alice Levine?

  British Scandal is hosted by me, Alice Levine.

• 57:14Matt Forde?

  And me, Matt Ford.

• 57:15Alice Levine?

  Written by Chris Lockery. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor is James Maniac. Sound design by Dan King. Our engineer is Jai Williams. For Samizat, our producer is Redzi Bernard. Our assistant producer is Louise Mason. Our senior producers are Joe Sykes and Thasha Lisitzina. For Wondery, our senior producer is Theodora Laloudis, and our senior managing producer is Rachel Sibley. Executive producers for Wondery are Estelle Doyle, Chris Bourne, and Marshall Louie.

• 57:56Speaker 05

  Hi, I'm Kenyon Perez.

• 57:57Speaker 03

  And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.

• 58:03Speaker 05

  We'll sit down with extraordinary guests from the worlds of art, film, literature, comedy, and wellness to hear from their unexpected stories of success.

• 58:10Speaker 03

  And who do we have this season? Well, we'll talk with Grammy-winning artist Anderson Paak, athlete Rich Roll, portrait artist Amy Sherald, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, legendary writer David Sedaris, and many more. These conversations are more intimate than last season, wouldn't you say?

• 58:27Speaker 05

  I would. Listen to season one of The Unusual Suspects wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for a free trial Audible to listen to season two in the Audible app or by subscribing to Apple Podcasts.

• 58:43Speaker 02

  By 1779, Benedict Arnold had sacrificed more for the revolution than almost any other man in America. One of George Washington's most effective commanders, he had nearly lost a leg in the Second Battle of Saratoga. But in return, Arnold believed he had been humiliated by Congress and cheated of his glory by lesser men. So he decided to make them pay. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US history: presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on his comrades in the Continental Army and secretly defects to the British. With the help of his wife, he plots to hand over the most important colonial fortress to the enemy

• 59:28Speaker 02

  and doom the revolution he once served. Follow American Scandal wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.