Old tensions may explain why King has cold feet over Duke’s wedding of the year
DIZZYING riches have enabled the Rothschilds to amass unrivalled treasures. But now I can disclose that Kate de Rothschild, 74, who, with siblings Nicholas, Lionel and Charlotte, inherited exbury house in hampshire from their father, edmund, in 2009, is putting the contents of its library up for sale.
Last year, the French branch of the family auctioned a mass of worldly goods at Christie’s in New York — and were rewarded with £50 million. But Kate and her siblings are entrusting exbury’s volumes — many of which were acquired in the 19th century — to a far more modest firm, Rowley’s in ely, Suffolk. Its managing director, Roddy Lloyd, declines to comment. Nor does any comment emerge from exbury.
THE society wedding of the year is less than three weeks away, yet King Charles and Queen Camilla have still not confirmed their attendance, I hear.
And the delay has provoked fevered speculation among friends and family of the Duke of Westminster, hugh Grosvenor, and his bride-to-be, Olivia henson.
‘Their Majesties have not forgotten what happened at the wedding of hugh’s sister,’ a source tells me. ‘ There is still a lot of tension that exists.’
The King and Queen chose to turn down their invitations to the 2004 wedding of the duke’s sister, Lady Tamara Grosvenor, and edward van Cutsem, a godson of his Majesty. It was held at the same venue as the duke’s wedding next month: Chester Cathedral.
Camilla Parker Bowles, as she was then, had been told that she would not be allowed to sit with Prince Charles and would instead be seated several rows back and be made to arrive separately. This was because Queen elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the ceremony, along with Princes William and Harry.
‘ her Majesty is a stickler for protocol,’ a courtier explained at the time. ‘It would be inappropriate for Mrs Parker Bowles to sit beside Prince Charles since she has no official standing.’
Tensions were heightened by reports that emilie van Cutsem, the groom’s mother, and Camilla had fallen out after each is alleged to have criticised the behaviour of the other’s children. Charles ultimately excused himself from the event with just days to go, saying he had to visit Warminster barracks to meet the families of soldiers serving in Iraq. Camilla was described as ‘otherwise engaged’.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have already been excluded from next month’s wedding, even though hugh, who has an estimated fortune of £ 10 billion, is reportedly the godfather of their son, Prince Archie.
Hugh reportedly felt the Sussexes’ appearance could cause tensions with the Royal Family.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their elder son, Prince George, who is also hugh’s godson, are invited. however, Catherine is not expected to attend because she is undergoing cancer treatment.