Titled simply 'Rorke’s Drift, January 22-23, 1879', this is the autograph draft manuscript for the account of the heroic Boer War defence presented by John Chard to Queen Victoria – estimate £10,000-15,000 at Bonhams Knightsbridge on December 17.
In passing, you refer to the film Zulu, loosely based on that event, in which the character of Chard was portrayed by Stanley Baker, rather than by Stanley Baxter, as you suggest.
If indeed the part of Chard had gone to Baxter, the resultant film might have gone like this: Baxter in the guise of Queen Victoria, assisted by his aide de camp (Kenneth Williams), invites 3000 Zulus to tea thereby averting the need for any battle scene.
Jim Barnes
Guthrie, Angus
ATG replies: Thanks also to Richard Edwins for pointing this out – apologies. Although the thought of a version of Zulu starring Stanley Baxter and Kenneth Williams is a tempting one…
