Kennedy’s secret lover to help arrange his funeral
CHARLES Kennedy’s girlfriend, who discovered his body at his Fort William home on Monday, is helping his family with the funeral arrangements, it was revealed yesterday. As MPs in the Commons paid tribute to the former Liberal Democrats leader, friends said Carole Macdonald had tried to help Mr Kennedy in his battle with alcoholism. It was not known how long the couple had been together but Mrs Macdonald – the widow of Mr Kennedy’s friend, Murdo Macdonald – was understood to have been with him at the May 7 election count when he lost his Highlands seat of Ross, Skye and Loch- aber. A friend said: ‘Charles’s relationship with Carole has been kept very low-key, which is the way that he would have wanted it. ‘He has been supported by Carole in recent years and they have a strong bond. Close friends and all his campaign team were very aware of Charles’s close relationship with Carole and the joy that it brought to him.’ Mrs Macdonald is said to be helping his family with funeral arrangements, although no service is expected for at least a week. Mrs Macdonald and her late husband Murdo were godparents to Mr Kennedy’s ten-year-old son, Donald, who watched from the parliamentary gallery as David Cameron led tributes to his father yesterday. Accompanied by his mother, Mr Kennedy’s ex-wife Sarah Gurling, Donald heard politicians of all parties praise his father. Miss Gurling’s brother James said: ‘It was a very special moment for Donald to see the Prime Minister, who he knows from the television, speaking about his father. ‘To see all these important people talking about your father, that was very special.’ Mr Gurling said the family planned to get a copy of Hansard – the official record of the Commons – for Donald to keep.