Jeffrey Archer on his new book Next in Line, the royals, and Australia's 'rubbish' cricket team

In a somewhat prophetic twist, his latest book is titled Next in Line and the royal family is at its core.

It's 1988 and detective chief inspector William Warwick is back for his fifth book, sent to investigate the elite Royalty Protection Command.

His team has been charged with the very sensitive responsibility of protecting Princess Diana as her marriage to Charles begins to crumble even further. But there's a terror plot that has the security of the country, and the crown, in its sights. In typical Archer fashion, his latest book is a rollicking ride.

When not talking about the fictional world of Next in Line, however, there's a stillness to the author today.

Archer, like most of us, is still in a state of shock about the Queen's death, but he's more than happy to talk.

"I did a television interview this morning in front of Buckingham Palace," he says.

"I was staggered by the amount of people who are taking flowers through Green Park and depositing them. I've never seen anything like it in my life. I have absolutely no doubt I will never see anything like it again.

"The flood of respect, the love and admiration. I wish she was alive to see how much the people loved her."

Archer had spent time with the Queen on a handful of occasions at different events.

He says she was a very private person, very formal, and while she may have had some idea how her death would have affected people, "she never would have expected the crowd to be 20, 30 deep, that people would be lining the Royal Mile, none of us would have predicted that".

He said the transition to the reign of King Charles III has been seamless, smooth and dignified, that Charles's approval rating is increasing every day.

"I attended a function with Charles just recently, for the Flying Doctor service in Australia and there's no doubt in my mind about his affection and love for Australia," Archer says, acknowledging the conversation about whether now would be the time to vote on a republic.

"I was very interested to hear that your prime minister said there would be no vote on a republic during his first administration, I suspect it's premature in every sense but of course, that's a decision for the Australian people."

Archer did know Princess Diana quite well, he says.

Their friendship began in the 1990s when they worked together for various charity auctions.

In December 1993 he was by her side as she announced she was withdrawing from public life, reading over the speech in her drawing room at Kensington Palace before she delivered it to the waiting media.

"I hope there's some sense of this personal relationship in the book, some insights," he says.

There's a line on the opening page of the book, "How much of it is true?".

You can't help but wonder how much of it has been fictionalised.

"You can't, in any way, make it insulting or inaccurate," Archer says. "I sent the book to three members of the royal family a month ago because I was worried about that. I wanted to tell a good yarn because that's what I do, but I didn't want to be disrespectful."

Telling a good yarn has always been at the forefront for Archer. He wrote his first book, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, in 1974 to avoid bankruptcy but it was Kane and Abel in 1978 that shot him to international success.

The book reached number one on The New York Times best seller list, reportedly selling more than a million copies in its first week alone and it has now sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

"We fall into two categories, we novelists, we're either thought of as writers or storytellers, I try to combine both," Archer says.

"They did a survey on me about a year ago and asked 1000 people what they thought about when they read my books and I thought most people would say storytelling, but it was my characters they liked."

He's enjoying taking William Warwick through different scenarios but he loves it that more readers seem to like his villain Miles Faulkner.

"Some of the most uptight, straight people I know love Faulkner, even when I point out that he's a complete crook. It's a challenge as an author to find that balance, the reader has to want to know who will get their comeuppance."

He consults with two former police officers who read the fourth or fifth draft of his books to iron out the details.

"They make sure I don't make any silly mistakes."

I wonder if he has any "consultants" on the other side.

"Villains almost write themselves because they have so much more fun," he says.

"They can do anything they like, they can go anywhere, so I've never found writing them hard."

But surely? In November 1999 Archer was charged with perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. In 2001 he was sentenced to four years in prison, serving two before he was released in 2003.

His biography is littered with allegations of insider trading and sex scandals. In 2004 the government of Equatorial Guinea alleged he was one of the financiers of a failed coupe d'etat.

"I've had the privilege of meeting so many interesting people over a long period of years and listening to what they have to say," he says, without giving too much away.

"Of course, a lot of it gets into my books.

"Whether it be from the parliamentary front or from the financial front, or auctioneering, or whatever it might be, readers feel as though I've been there.

"I say to young writers, write about what you know. Don't think you've got to do sex, violence, bad language, it's all bunkum, you write a tale. A tale that makes people want to turn the pages."

He says there's a bit of luck to it all, to writing a good story, even after all these years.

"It's what I do. I don't play the violin, I'm not a ballet dancer, I can't sing opera.

"I tell stories and the ideas come every single day.

"In fact, one came this morning, I was up at six o'clock, writing three pages this morning with a brand new idea that came up.

"I'm 82 years old and still love it.

"I'll give it up the day I stop loving it.

"It still gets me up at five in the morning and keeps me excited. I'm very lucky."

He's renowned for writing 14 or 15 drafts of each book before he shows the publisher.

Most of the books start in his writing room at his home in Mallorca, Spain, an hourglass timing the two-hour sessions he spends at his desk overlooking the ocean.

"I'm up at 5.30, at my desk by six, I write until eight, then again from 10 until 12, two until four, six until eight, in bed by 9.30 and up again and at it the next morning.

"One thousand hours later I have the 14th or 15th draft which I give to the publisher."

And he hand writes everything.

"I can't type! My ability with anything mechanical is almost zero," he says.

Did he ever envision his success?

"Seventeen publishers turned the first book down, the 18th published about 3000 copies and gave me a £3000 advance.

"My wife Mary thought it might be wise if I got a proper job."

He's been to Australia a dozen or so times and loves it here. He's a fan of Australian art, he has one of Arthur Boyd's Shoalhaven paintings hanging in his house in London.

"I do love Australia, but I think your cricket team is rubbish."

OK, Archer. All talk of protocol is off the table. Don't you dare come after our cricket team.

"Well, you're coming over here next year so we're all waiting for you.

"Under Ben Stokes, England has won six matches out of seven, beating New Zealand and South Africa but we haven't dealt with Australia yet.

"You've arguably had the greatest batsman in the world, if it isn't Joe Root, it's Steve Smith ... and you have some great fast bowlers. An Ashes series is always hotly contested so I'm looking forward to it."

Archer admits he's had an adventurous life. He credits Mary, his wife of 56 years, with much of his success, for grounding him, even if she's not a huge fan of his books.

"Would she pick up my books if we weren't married? Probably not."

All his books feature strong women, beginning with Florentyna in Kane and Abel and its sequel The Prodigal Daughter.

In Next in Line, apart from Princess Diana, there are a couple of young policewomen and William's wife Beth continues to grow as a character.

"I'm married to a remarkably strong woman, Dame Mary. She's chairman of the Science Museum in Great Britain. The Queen made her a dame after her service as chairman of Cambridge University Hospital," Archer says.

"I had 11 years working alongside Margaret Thatcher and my mother Lola was the strongest of them all. So I've had three very strong women in my life. You're quite right, my women are strong but I've always liked strong women."

If he weren't writing, what would he be doing?

"I would certainly be the captain of the English cricket team," he says, without pause.

Given the things he's fended off during his life, one has no doubt he'd be more than equipped to send a few bouncers on their way to the boundary. Perhaps just not against Australia.

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