LION HEARTED
More than 40 years after the film Born Free made her a passionate wildlife activist, Virginia McKenna has bared her soul with an autobiography that reveals the highs of her years with husband Bill Travers, and the depths of life without him.
Grey curls fall softly over her chiselled cheekbones. The patchwork-style jacket and multicoloured scarf she has chosen for our meeting is not an easy look to pull off at any age, yet she does so effortlessly. At 77, Virginia McKenna retains the elegance of one of Britain’s most successful actresses; Gary Cooper and Kirk Douglas were among her leading men.
It was when she starred in the 1966 film Born Free, the heart-warming tale of the orphaned lioness Elsa and her extraordinary relationship with the game wardens who returned her to the wild, that she became an icon – and life changed for both Virginia and her husband and co-star, Bill Travers. They became passionate wildlife conservationists and went on to found the Born Free Foundation (BFF), now in its 25th year and headed by their eldest son Will.
To coincide with the charity’s anniversary, Virginia McKenna has published a searingly honest autobiography.
“I started the book for my children,” she says. “I wanted them to have the answers to any questions they might have about their family. I think they may be surprised that I have revealed my feelings about their father, as they are so personal. But the moment has come. Some bits rushed out and others were quite difficult. I was an only child and one of the legacies of that is you keep your thoughts close to your chest because you have no one to share them with. It was only with Bill that I could be more open.”
She and Bill were married for 37 years until his death in 1994, at 72, following a heart attack as he slept at their home in Dorking, Surrey, where she still lives. As she talks, it becomes clear that remaining in the home they shared is a great comfort to her and that recounting her life story, on paper and in interviews, has been a more difficult process than she imagined.
For the most part, her hands remain neatly in her lap. Occasionally, though, she will question her decision to publish, fiddling nervously with her scarf. “I never have liked the sort of people who talk about themselves, you know. I really didn’t want the book to be voyeuristic. There were lots of requests for interviews when Bill died, but I couldn’t bear it. Until I wrote this book, I had never spoken about him publicly. It takes time to let people in on your feelings.”
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