Lady Mary Archer, the wife of the late Lord Jeffrey Archer, has been widely praised for her enduring patience and loyalty. The former politician and novelist died at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy marked by controversy, including time in prison and alleged dealings with a sex worker. Throughout it all, Mary stood by her husband, once candidly remarking, "I think we have explored the further reaches of 'for better or worse' far more than some other couples."
A Meeting at Oxford and a Marriage of Contrasts
The couple first met at the University of Oxford. Archer allegedly gained entry to Brasenose College with fictitious A-levels and a two-year US degree, yet thrived as president of the Oxford University Athletic Club and competed for Great Britain as a runner. Mary, by contrast, was a quiet and hardworking chemistry student. When they married in the summer of 1966 at Oxford's University Church of St Mary-the-Virgin, her profession was listed as "research fellow."
Mary later admitted she felt "much too young" at 22, but explained, "Jeffrey seemed more mature, older than my contemporaries. So the partnership felt reasonably grown up." According to The Guardian, Archer claimed to be a research fellow on his wedding day, an early sign of the bending of truth that would become familiar. Despite her misgivings, Mary looked ahead with excitement. "I felt life would be uncertain, stimulating, and fast-moving," she told The Herald in 2001.
Scandal, Bankruptcy, and a Novelist's Rise
While Mary completed a PhD at Imperial College London in 1968, Archer pursued politics, winning his first seat as a Conservative councillor for Havering, Greater London. By Christmas 1969, he became MP for Louth after a by-election victory. However, fellow politician Humphry Berkeley accused him of fiddling lunch expenses, leading to a libel suit that was settled out of court.
In 1972, the couple welcomed their first son, William, followed by James in 1974. That same year, Archer was declared bankrupt after the fraudulent Canadian cleaning company Aquablast collapsed, leaving him £427,000 to £500,000 in debt. He told a pregnant Mary about the bankruptcy during William's second birthday party. She later shared, "I felt weak at the knees, but there was nothing else to do except carry on with the party." Forced to resign from parliament, Mary became the breadwinner as a chemistry lecturer at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Mary, who later became an expert on solar energy, said, "Being in debt is worse than anything else, and I've tried a few things." Archer rebranded himself as a novelist, with his first book, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, becoming an international bestseller. By 1986, his third novel, Kane and Abel, had restored their fortunes.
Libel Trials and Public Scrutiny
In October 1986, the News of the World alleged Archer had paid sex worker Monica Coghlan £2,000. The Daily Star then reported he had paid her for sex. Archer sued for libel, winning £500,000 in damages. During the trial, Mr Justice Caulfield famously praised Mary's elegance and questioned whether Archer needed "cold, unloving, rubber-insulated sex in a seedy hotel." Archer admitted arranging the £2,000 payment but maintained it was to help Monica leave the UK, denying they had sex.
In 1999, former friend Ted Francis claimed Archer had asked him for a false alibi ahead of the libel case. In 2001, Archer faced trial for perjury and perverting the course of justice, dropping his London mayoral bid. Monica, who had called Archer a liar, died in a car crash before the trial began, aged 50.
Mary stood by her husband at the Old Bailey, telling the court she had learned of Archer's affair with his former personal assistant, Andrina Colquhoun, through a gossip column. Asked if the revelation would have damaged his career, she replied, "He would not have been the first aspiring politician to have had the odd fling." She later told the Daily Express, "There are worse things in life than adultery. I am proud of Jeffrey's achievements, and I think he is proud of mine. We've been together so long, I can't really imagine life without him."
Prison, Illness, and a Lasting Bond
Archer was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. In 2016, ahead of their Golden Wedding Anniversary, Mary told The Telegraph that Archer wrote to her from Belmarsh prison asking if she wanted to stay in the marriage, saying, "I feel I have let you down." She added, "That was really the nearest we have ever come to talking about it [divorce]. A partnership is about helping your partner in time of difficulty. That is when it matters. I am just not a quitter."
Archer was released after serving two years and two days. The couple supported each other through serious health issues, including Mary's bladder cancer diagnosis in 2010 and Archer's prostate cancer in 2013. Archer, whose surgery left him impotent, credited Mary with insisting on routine check-ups. In a 2023 piece for Saga, he wrote, "Without her, I'm totally useless. Same as every marriage, we've had our ups and downs, but this stunningly beautiful, incredibly smart woman has stood by me. Mary is a force of nature." He added, "Please don't die before me because I won't be able to cope. And I'm not joking."
