Personal Life
The Carandinis, Lee's maternal ancestors, were given the right to bear the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Cinemareview cites: "Cardinal Consalvi was Papal Secretary of State at the time of Napoleon and is buried at the Pantheon in Rome next to the painter Raphael. His painting, by Lawrence, hangs in Windsor Castle".
Lee is a step-cousin of Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond spy novels, and a distant relative of Robert E. Lee and the astronomer John Lee.
He has been married to former Danish model Birgit "Gitte" Lee since 1961. They have a daughter named Christina Erika Carandini Lee, who married Juan Francisco Aneiros Rodriguez in July 2001. Lee is also the uncle of the British actress Dame Harriet Walter.
Contrary to popular belief, Lee does not have a vast library of occult books. When giving a speech at the University College Dublin on 8 November 2011 he said: "Somebody wrote I have 20,000 books. I'd have to live in a bath! I have maybe four or five."
Known for his imposing height, Lee currently stands 6 ft 5 in tall, having lost an inch in height.
Lee is a supporter of the British Conservative Party. He described Michael Howard as "the ideal person to lead the party" in 2003 and supports William Hague and David Cameron.
Read more about this topic: Birgit Kroencke
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