The Aristocrats’ love rematch
Duke and Duchess move back in together – from separate wings of their castle
THEIR 2011 split was so acrimonious they reportedly missed the Royal Wedding to avoid being in the same room as one another – but now the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk have reconciled and are once again living under the same, very grand, roof.
The Queen is said by courtiers to be ‘absolutely thrilled’ that Edward and Georgina Fitzalan Howard have ended the five-year separation that saw them live in opposite wings of their ancient family seat, Arundel Castle in West Sussex.
The Duke is said to have relocated to the Castle’s East Wing before moving out completely, while the Duchess slept in the West Wing.
Friends say that though the staunchly Catholic couple were never expected to formally divorce, the likelihood of a reconciliation was remote, and many of their aristocratic inner circle are said to be ‘gobsmacked but completely thrilled’ for them.
The couple, who married at Arundel Cathedral in 1987, separated in 2011 after growing apart but were at pains at the time to point out that ‘there is nobody else involved’.
Friends believed the breakup would be permanent, but I hear that planning for last month’s wedding of their eldest son Henry rekindled their relationship.
They resumed contact and, by April, began quietly attending private events together, including a society book launch party in London’s Regent Street.
And last month they delighted family and friends by attending Henry’s wedding, also at Arundel Cathedral, as a couple.
A source close to the couple told The Mail on Sunday last night: ‘It was totally unexpected. No one could have predicted they would get back together, least of all the Queen, who is absolutely thrilled.’
The Duchess devotes much of her time to numerous charitable efforts, most notably as Patron of Depaul International, a Catholic charity supporting the homeless and vulnerable.