In 1987 Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, persuaded members of the royal family to take part in a television game show called “It's a Royal Knockout”. Edward and Prince Andrew joined Princess Anne and Sarah Ferguson in dressing up and frolicking around with a motley selection of stars from the stage and screen. According to Ingrid Seward’s 1995 book “Prince Edward: A Biography”, Edward set about patiently tracking down celebrities via the transatlantic telephone, convincing them it was a good idea.
It involved 40 celebrities – including Cliff Richard, Christopher Reeve, John Travolta, Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews, Chris de Burgh and Meatloaf.
They were divided into four teams for each of the four charities, with each team having a royal captain.
The late Christopher Reeve, famous for his portrayal of Superman during the Seventies and Eighties was flown in from the US and was "fog-bound in London", according to Ms Seward.
Mr Reeve – who died in 2004 at the age of 52 – recalled what he
