British actress Sylvia Syms claims to be living in poverty, despite her role as British royal the QUEEN MOTHER in the new award-winning movie THE QUEEN. Syms, who has starred in numerous film and television projects in a career spanning 50 years, insists she has made little to no money in the process. And, to make some cash, the veteran star has threatened to expose several affairs she claims to have had with Hollywood leading men such as Dirk Bogarde, William Holden and TONY HANCOCK if she writes her memoirs. The 72-year-old, best known for her role opposite John Mills in ICE COLD IN ALEX, insists she has no money to retire on and will write the autobiography if she receives no further offers of work. Syms says, "I can't retire. I didn't get a penny out of any of my early films. And Ice Cold In Alex is on every week. I got GBP30 ($56) a week for that in 1958 and I've not had a penny since. "I've got nothing in the pipeline. I'm unemployed. I've had loads of offers to do my autobiography and if I get really short of money, I might consider it."