Nigel Dempster, 65; prolific longtime gossip columnist in England

Nigel Dempster, 65, a leading gossip columnist in England who broke the news of Prince Andrew’s engagement to Sarah Ferguson, the marriage and separation of Prince Charles and Diana, as well as Diana’s eating disorder, died July 12 in London, according to Paul Dacre, an editor at the Daily Mail, where Dempster was a longtime employee.

The son of an Australian mining executive was born in India in 1941 and educated at boarding schools in England.

He worked as a stockbroker and an insurance agent and sold vacuum cleaners before landing his first newspaper job in 1963 with the Daily Express. He served as a correspondent in the United States after joining the Daily Mail. In 1973, he started his gossip column for the Mail and stayed with it until his retirement in 2003.

A prolific writer, his column appeared five days a week for nearly 30 years and, six days a week from 1986 on.

In commenting on his retirement, the Guardian called him “The most famous newspaperman of his generation,” the New York Times obituary reported. Tina Brown, the former editor of the New Yorker, called him “the boss of gloss,” the Times said.