Pippa’s ex bails out her brother’s firm

FRIEND of the Royals Charlie Gilkes, the nightclubs entrepreneur, offers his well-connected mates more than just a discreet VIP area to escape the paparazzi.

The owner of Prince Harry’s favourite spots for a mojito, Maggie’s and Bunga Bunga, has invested in James Middleton’s personalised marshmallow firm, Boomf, snapping up almost 2,000 shares.

Gilkes’s business partner, Duncan Stirling, has bought an equal slice of the business as part of the venture’s recently completed £1.3million funding round. James Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge’s younger brother, owns 32 per cent of the company, which he says will make a profit this year, following a rocky patch where it posted a £250,000 loss.

Most Boomf investors were introduced via Q Ventures, a private investment club, but Gilkes has a closer connection.

Before marrying PR girl Anneke von Trotha Taylor in 2014, he enjoyed a dalliance with James’s older sister, Pippa, while they were studying at Edinburgh University.

It’s a small world.