David Soul's romances with five wives and boozy afternoon with Princess Margaret

05 January 2024 , 17:05

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David Soul with his wife Helen Snell (Image: Getty Images)

Actor and musician David Soul has passed away at the age of 80, with loved ones paying tribute to his 'smile, laughter and passion for life'.

Best known for playing Sergeant Kenneth Richard 'Hutch' Hutchinson in the iconic buddy cop show Starsky & Hutch, David rose to fame in the '70s, and went on to enjoy a long, varied acting career spanning TV, film, and theatre. Chicago-born David also enjoy plenty of success as a singer, most notably with his number one hit Don't Give Up On Us (1976).

Glittering showbiz CV aside, David led an interesting life filled with fascinating people. He married five times, and allegedly even enjoyed an afternoon of gin-soaked conversation with the late Princess Margaret.

Princess Margaret was reportedly a 'fabulous' lunchtime guest (Sylvia Norris/Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock)

Boozy rush with royalty

Thanks to the roaring success of Starsky & Hutch, David caught the attention of royalty, with the famously glamorous Princess Margaret paying a memorable visit to the set of Starsky And Hutch in 1978. Describing the princess as 'fabulous', David told the Mail Online: "We invited her to lunch and boy did she like her gin! We emptied a bottle between us. She was incredibly smart, funny and interesting. She revealed the Queen Mother was a fan of the show."

David enjoyed Margaret's company so much that when he was over in London performing in the play The Dead Monkey many years later in 1999, he invited her along. Sadly, it wasn't to be, and the princess, who was suffering from health problems, wrote back explaining she'd scalded her feet in the bath and so wasn't able to walk. Offering a little insight into their boozy lunch, an amused David previously told the Mirror: "I got Princess Margaret really smashed one afternoon. We closed the set down, Paul and I took her to lunch and we emptied a couple of bottles of gin. She told us the Queen Mother loved Starsky & Hutch and called us 'nice boys'."

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The actor found love in later life with 'wonderful' Helen (Getty Images)

David was previously married to actress Julia Nickson (David Crump/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)

Five marriages

David was married a total of five times, and had six children. His first wedding, which took place in 1964, was with high-school sweetheart Mim Solberg, née Russeth, with the pair deciding to marry after she became pregnant. The marriage only lasted two years.

Just 20 years old at the time, he once reflected: "I was still a kid myself, but in those times, if you got someone pregnant, you had no choice but to get married. So I left school and the only thing I could do was sing."

His next marriage was with his The Yellow Rose co-star Karen Carlson, which saw the pair tying the knot in 1968. The couple ended up parting ways, however, in 1977, with Karen later explaining that maintaining a relationship long-distance had taken its toll. Karen told The Australian Women's Weekly: "There were a lot of separations. And that can happen even when you're in the same town.

"And David puts no fences on you - no boundaries. As a result, he has none himself. None. David loves women. And it took me a long time to understand that that's not a bad thing. lt just didn't fit into my life. We just had different ways of interpreting things. If I said I'd like to go to such and such a place with this man who's a good friend of mine, David would say, 'Fine, sure, go."

In 1980, David walked down the aisle a third time with Patti Carnel Sherman. BBC News reported that David was arrested in the 1980s for attacking Patti Carnel Sherman while she was seven months pregnant. This was David's first offence and charges were dropped after he underwent a probationary diversion programme.

The late star later expressed regret over his actions, and even went on to visit prisons to speak with inmates about domestic violence. Opening up about his arrest in a 2020 interview with Waitrose Weekend, David said: "It was a moment that changed my life. I admitted it, I took anger management classes, and since then I've been able to help men's groups with these issues. Because I'm totally in control of myself, I can be a help to others."

In 1987, David married actress Julia Nickson, with the pair divorcing in 1993. It would then be nearly two decades until he married again, to public relations professional Helen Snell, who he regarded as the love of his life. Speaking previously with the Mirror, David said: "She's a Home Counties girl. My wife is the most wonderful woman – caring, loving, tough and gentle. All of those things that make for longevity and interest."

In a statement shared today, Helen said: "David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched."

Julia Banim