Named: the ‘vipers’ blamed for party snub to ‘the Frog’ in a bonkers society spat
IT IS the high society spat that has caused ripples throughout the most gilded of circles.
But The Mail on Sunday can today name the couple targeted in a very pointed post on social media.
The saga began when Lady Caroline Dalmeny published a rant on Instagram in which she accused an unnamed couple of snubbing her boyfriend after she was invited to a party – but he was not.
It can now be revealed that she was referring to Susan Gilchrist and her husband, the historian Andrew Roberts.
It is understood that Lady Dalmeny was upset that her partner, Jules Irens, a former Gurkha officer, has not been invited to Mr Roberts’s 60th birthday bash, which is due to be held at Mayfair restaurant Oswald’s in January.
The 53-year-old was married to Sotheby’s chairman Harry Primrose, Lord Dalmeny, who has remarried and has been invited to the party with his new wife, Harriet Clapham.
Caroline shares her title with Harriet, 33, until she remarries. Lady Dalmeny,
‘It ought to be my choice who is invited to my 60th’
who is now in a relationship with 54-yearold Mr Irens – known in society circles as ‘the Frog’ – launched her attack after she claimed she was told ‘priority was being given to married couples’ due to the party being ‘crowded’.
Her rant did not refer to the couple by name, instead labelling them simply ‘vipers’. She added: ‘They are dead to me.’
She then lashed out at the hosts by sharing her email response: ‘Lady Dalmeny thanks Lady X for her kind invitation but won’t consider attending an event from which her long-term partner is excluded. She therefore sends her “regrets”.’
She also added puzzling details to the post, saying: ‘A person who I thought was a very good and long-standing friend actually told me in writing this morning that the Frog couldn’t be invited to a party as it was crowded – priority would be given to married couples.’
The term ‘the Frog’ is said to be a tribute to her boyfriend’s late, French-speaking mother.
Ms Gilchrist was addressed as ‘Lady’ due to the fact Mr Roberts has just been named Baron Roberts of Belgravia in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list. Mr Roberts said: ‘I really think it ought to be Susan’s and my choice who is invited to my small 60th birthday party and who isn’t.’
A close friend of Ms Gilchrist said: ‘She did not tell Caroline Dalmeny that the party was for married couples only as it isn’t.
‘She has never met Jules and Andrew has only met him on a couple of occasions.’