Daily Mail

Prince Philip’s godson walks out on Instagram bride

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WHEN Prince Philip’s godson, interior designer Ashley Hicks, wed American fashionist­a Kata de Solis in 2015, it was dubbed society’s first ever ‘Instagram wedding’ as the couple had met through the social media site.

I am sad to reveal that just three years on the marriage has hit the rocks — and the first Instagram divorce beckons.

‘He’s left her but he is hoping they will be able to have a good relationsh­ip,’ says a friend.

Kata, 36, who has a seven-monthold son called Caspian by Ashley, recently announced that she was expecting a second child. She confirmed the news of the ‘Irish twins’ — babies born within 12 months of each other — online, adding: ‘Uhoh, here we go again.’

The split is believed to be extremely painful for the couple with Kata no longer living at his Oxfordshir­e home and telling friends she is extremely stressed at being deserted.

‘It is a huge worry for Kata with Ashley having run off, but she knows she will somehow just have to cope,’ adds the friend.

The 55-year- old son of the late designer David Hicks, and grandson of Earl Mountbatte­n, the last Viceroy of India, married Kata at his family home. Their romance had taken no time to blossom — the lovebirds got engaged just one month after meeting on the photoshari­ng website.

They were introduced online by illustrato­r Donald Robertson, who was also best man. For the reception, the bride wore bunny ears and the groom donned a fancy-dress chicken’s head.

The nuptials were attended by Hicks’s daughters from his first marriage to designer Allegra — Angelica and Ambrosia — his mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, and sister India, a bridesmaid at Lady Diana’s wedding in 1981.

There was another novel rite of ceremony when Angelica, 25, pushed the bride’s face into the cake. Last year Kata revealed how she was struggling to bond with her stepdaught­er, who is just 11 years younger than her. ‘I get on with the younger one [Ambrosia, 21], but not the older one,’ Kata disclosed at a party in Mayfair. ‘She lives in New York and I think that’s better for us, because we don’t see each other that often.’

She also revealed tensions over her choice of bedroom for Caspian. ‘We didn’t want to have problems with the stepchildr­en. If we gave Caspian the largest room in the house, they wouldn’t be happy, even though they don’t live with us. They’re already not superthril­led about the kid.’

The couple continued to live out their short married life via Instagram. Two weeks after Caspian was born his parents created an online account for the tot — and shared his christenin­g on the web.

 ??  ?? Huge worry: Kata on her wedding day and, inset, with husband Ashley
Huge worry: Kata on her wedding day and, inset, with husband Ashley

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