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He stepped away from royal service in dramatic fashion almost three years ago, resigning as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation following allegations that he had discussed obtaining British citizenship – and a knighthood – for a Saudi tycoon who ultimately donated more than £1.5m to… the Prince’s Foundation.
But anyone who thought that was the last they would hear of former Buckingham Palace footman Michael Fawcett should think again.
Not only are his services as an “event planner” in high demand (thanks, I am told, to the unwavering loyalty of his wealthy former clients, who marvel at his attention to detail), but he has just made the best part of £800,000 in tax-free profits.
Amid persistent fears that it is only a matter of time before Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government introduces a capital gains tax on the sale of “primary residences”, Fawcett, 61, has demonstrated his trademark skill.
He and his wife Debbie, a former Buckingham Palace maid, have sold their own “palace”, a five-bedroom home just a mile from Hampton Court, for £1.3m.
RICHARD EDEN: Anyone who thought that was the last they would hear of former Buckingham Palace footman Michael Fawcett should think again.
Fawcett resigned from one of Charles’ charities amid alleged cash-for-honours scandal
Fawcett (left) began his career in the Royal Family as a footman to Queen Elizabeth II in the 1980s.
It was a royal reward for the couple who bought the property for £490,000 in 2003. They then ensured it was refurbished to their own scrupulous standards, and it featured a portrait of Fawcett by acclaimed artist Peter Kuhfeld, who was commissioned by King Charles to paint the state portrait to mark his coronation.
The new owners won’t be able to get their hands on Fawcett’s portrait, but they will be able to tinker with the knobs in her kitchen, which features two Miele ovens, a Miele microwave, a Miele extractor fan, a pair of fridge-freezers and a “built-in” wine chiller.
Of course, the bedrooms are sumptuously carpeted. As chief executive of Dumfries House (the near-perfect Palladian mansion that the king “saved for the nation”), Fawcett ensured that £40,000 worth of new carpets were laid, thanks to a productive conversation with a philanthropic Arab gentleman.
However, according to the estate agent, it is the rear garden, accessed via bi-fold doors from the kitchen, that has “a real wow factor”, thanks to extensive “mature trees and shrubs” and a summerhouse.
I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Fawcett puts the same royal touch on the new residence he and Debbie purchased eight miles away.
Emma is ready for her role in Marvel
Who wears tights in the summer? Emma Corrin, that’s the one.
Corrin, Princess Diana in The Crown, showed off a quirky sense of style in a pair of red tights that matched her pointed heels as she promoted her latest film in Los Angeles, where the mercury hit 27°C (81°F).
The 28-year-old arrived for an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to discuss her role in the Marvel film Deadpool & Wolverine, in which the star plays a villain.
Corrin feared she wouldn’t be cast after meeting the director while suffering the effects of a chemical peel: “I was trying to fix my skin and he basically peeled a layer off. I looked horrible and all my skin was peeling off.”
Emma Corrin plays an antagonist in the new Marvel movie, Deadpool & Wolverine
Let’s face it, this family duo makes Dad proud.
If the faces of these two women look vaguely familiar, there’s a reason.
They are the daughters of Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor and rock star Sting, and have been causing a sensation in the Hamptons, the elegant New York seaside resort.
Mickey Sumner, 40, daughter of Sting and film producer Trudie Styler, joined friend and fellow actress Clara McGregor, 28, whose mother is production designer Eve Mavrakis, at the Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter party in the Hamptons.
Clara, who wore a sheer bralette with a striped blazer suit, had previously admitted to using her “nepo baby” status to her advantage.
Speaking about her father, she said: “I’ve had a lot more opportunities because of who he is.”
Mickey Sumner (left) joined actress Clara McGregor (right) in New York on July 24.
Water of decay, Gio?
Is it just me or is there a whiff of failure surrounding Giovanni Pernice?
The professional dancer, who quit Strictly Come Dancing following complaints about his behaviour, has slashed prices on his Vita fragrance range.
100ml bottles will still cost £63.75 (normally £75).
My suspicion is that the Italian’s former Strictly dance partner, Sherlock star Amanda Abbington, who abruptly left the show last October, won’t be rushing to the shops.
Party girls who pissed off Ryan
Children’s birthday parties seem to be wild affairs in Katherine Ryan’s household.
The 41-year-old comedian admits her daughter Violet’s seventh birthday party a few years ago got out of hand.
“There’s always alcohol at my kids’ parties,” she says. “I celebrated birthdays like they were weddings… The mothers went crazy. They topped up the champagne, they got particularly effusive.”
One of them started telling me, “I think a lot of the stuff you do is shit.” Another drunk mother suggested that Ryan was having an affair with his wife.
‘She lost her husband and came, falling face down, saying, ‘My husband is at your house, isn’t he? He has gone to your house.’
Ryan replied: ‘Your ugly troll husband is not in my house.’
Ryan adds: “There’s always alcohol, but that year was the worst.”
Ms. Ryan (pictured July 16) says “there’s always alcohol at my kids’ parties.”
Could Vanessa’s ex take on Khan?
Vanessa Feltz was devastated when she split from her fiancé, Phats & Small singer Ben Ofoedu, after 17 years together because he was unfaithful.
However, he hopes to win the trust of voters.
He is in formal talks to become the Conservative candidate for mayor of the capital. “I’m going to be mayor of London,” he confirmed at Suki Wang’s summer party in London, at 180 The Strand.
Their mission is to restore law and order to the crime-ridden capital of Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Mr Ofoedu (pictured in 2021 with Ms Feltz) is in talks to become the Conservative mayoral candidate.
Chester MP finds having a politician father ‘sometimes irritating’
Aphra Brandeth, the new Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury, admits that her father Gyles, once the MP for Chester, has driven her a little mad.
In his first speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday, he acknowledged that he knew one of his predecessors “quite well – in fact, I’ve known him since I was born”.
He added that it could be “wonderful and sometimes irritating to have a father who was a member of parliament.”
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