Brabourne faces Tesco showdown
SO QUIETLY that almost no one has seen him, Lord Brabourne has slipped back to his ancestral home, Broadlands. But instead of moving into the historic house where the Queen and Prince Philip spent their honeymoon — the grandson of the late Earl Mountbatten remains separated from his estranged wife Penny — he is being accommodated in a cottage on the estate.
Today he is expected to appear at a public meeting into controversial plans by Tesco to build a superstore in the 5,000- acre grounds of the 60-room Palladian mansion near Romsey, Hants.
‘There is to be a question and answer session along with an exhibition of the plans, and locals expect Brabourne to be there,’ I am told.
A close friend of the peer tells me he would be ‘surprised’ if he was not there, adding: ‘He is not the kind of man not to face up to his responsibilities.’ Two years ago he shocked friends by walking out on his 30-year marriage and moving to the Bahamas to start a new life with fashion designer Jeannie McQueeny, widow of the baronet Sir Nicholas Nuttall.
But their romance has been complicated, not least because of the demands of Broadlands and securing its future — which is the reason behind the Tesco deal.
As I have reported, much of the day-to-day running of the estate has been in Lady Brabourne’s more than capable hands. But recently, I am told, her husband has been involved in decisionmaking, too. According to locals, Norton Brabourne, 64, a childhood friend of the Prince of Wales and godson of Prince Philip, has been seen at a house called The Causeway, one of the properties scattered on the estate.
His presence represents another significant shift in the dynamics which have torn apart Broadlands in recent years. He has become reconciled with his son and heir Nicholas Knatchbull, who has the courtesy title Lord Romsey and who has fought long battles with drug addiction.
His relationship with Lady Nuttall has not always run smoothly. They have parted and been reunited at least once — although the other day they were said to have been seen window shopping at a Chelsea jeweller.