He lives life in the fast lane whether at the wheel of his Ferrari F40 sports car, or aboard his 160 ft yacht, My Little Violet. But irrepressible property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz seems unlikely to have too much time in which to gallivant around the globe in 2021. He has, I can disclose, just become … Read more
Bad blood boiled over just before Christmas at the Hurlingham Club — despite the fact it’s where the Duchess of Cambridge takes Prince George for tennis lessons. So intense was the ill-feeling that the club’s new chairman, the Earl of Snowdon’s cousin Luke Nunneley, felt obliged to berate certain unnamed individuals who, he said, routinely … Read more
Move over Joe Wicks. The Body Coach’s morning workouts may have made him a lockdown sensation and propelled him to a £10 million fortune, but he is a mere princeling when compared with ‘King Arthur’ — the Queen’s great-nephew, Arthur Chatto. The 21-year-old, musclebound Old Etonian induces delirium among his tribe of female fans whenever … Read more
General Sir Mike Rose was Commanding Officer of the SAS when it brought the Iranian Embassy siege to an explosive end and, two years later, when it achieved extraordinary success in the Falklands War. But he has arguably saved his most devastating assault till now. It comes, I can disclose, in the form of a … Read more
He was the 20th century’s most famous storyteller renowned for classics such as James And The Giant Peach and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. However, despite his popularity among children, Roald Dahl had a darker side to his character — and rarely seen correspondence with his publisher Tom Maschler has surfaced which confirms his reputation … Read more
SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Netflix’s worldwide hit The Crown is not the only drama that’s provoked a row about the portrayal of real people and events on screen.
When panic surrounded the polio vaccine in the 1950s, the Queen helped turn public opinion by confirming Prince Charles and Princess Anne would get the jab. Now, however, the Palace refuses to say if Her Majesty or Prince Philip have been given the Covid vaccine, insisting that it’s a ‘private’ matter. But some of the Queen’s … Read more
Christmas Eve is the most sacred day in the royal calendar, with the Queen usually gathering her family together at her Norfolk retreat, Sandringham, to exchange presents before they celebrate with a festive feast. This year, however, Her Majesty was at Windsor Castle holding a meeting with Boris Johnson. I hear the Prime Minister took … Read more
‘To make an end is to make a beginning’: How Ursula von der Leyen quoted Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot to strike a sombre tone at EU press conference announcing Brexit deal European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen sounded despondent She quoted William Shakespeare, The Beatles and poet TS Eliot in her speech Her sombre … Read more
He has a castle in the Scottish Highlands, a villa in St Tropez and an estate in Surrey. But there is, alas, no prospect of billionaire former Harrods owner Mohamed Fayed enjoying a happy family Christmas at any of them, following the latest round in a toxic High Court battle which has pitted his youngest … Read more