This is the time for rejoicing – of good will and good tidings. But that is clearly not the case for an eminent member of the aristocracy.
For him, an earl, it’s obviously just another opportunity to behave with contempt, as he demonstrated in an amazing and repulsive display.
The incident happened earlier this month at a private society party in London.
The hosts, a married couple, looked after their guests with what I was assured was characteristic generosity, but no one – including the earl – took too much advantage of their hospitality, let alone seemed weary.
However, when the guests left at the end of the evening – “It wasn’t very late,” I was told, “Midnight, maybe a little earlier” – the Earl’s mood changed.
His hosts had arranged for paid helpers to be willing to find and return coats, hats, and scarves to the guests.
“All the coats were on a stand,” I’m told. “There were two girls – one a cute South American girl – who helped find and return her.”
As luck would have it, she was the one who responded to the Earl’s request for his coat, but had difficulty finding it. His lordship was disinterested. He started to raise his voice. ‘He said, ‘Why don’t the coats have names on them?’ Just getting more and more agitated by this poor girl who said, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m just trying to find your coat.’ ‘
But her apologies failed to mollify the colleague, who instead responded in a vile manner.
“He spat in her face – in front of a whole crowd of people. The most disgusting thing,” says my source.
It left the young helper distraught and disgusted.
Friends hoped she would report the matter to the police. “What he did was an attack,” emphasizes one of them.
But justice seems unlikely. “She works for the family who threw the party and fears losing her job.”
Time, of course, for the family to spit the earl out for good.
England’s rugby star Sam marries college love
Just over a year since I reported that England rugby union star Sam Underhill had gotten engaged to his girlfriend Josie Jennings: they’ve now made it official.
The flanker, 26, from Bath, married the Bath University graduate in a low-key ceremony in Somerset attended by close friends and family.
The happy couple met at university.
Last year, Josie described Sam’s proposal, complete with a diamond ring, as “the best weekend ever, couldn’t be happier”.
However, she may have to settle for a very hectic honeymoon. Bath are back in action with an away game in Exeter this afternoon.
The smart set speaks of… the festive beau of Dame Viv
It’s no secret who Dame Vivienne Westwood’s granddaughter Cora Corre will be kissing under the mistletoe this Christmas.
I hear the 25-year-old model has found love with former model Riccardo Ambrosio, who is now the manager at Soho House in London.
Cora shared this beloved picture of her and Ambrosio snuggling up at a festive celebration, to which she captioned ‘Mr & Mrs Scrooge’. Hopefully, Riccardo and Cora’s relationship has found the approval of her parents, Agent Provocateur co-founders Serena Rees and Joe Corre, and punk queen Dame Viv. The 81-year-old fashion designer once expressed her disappointment that her granddaughter chose to ski instead of modeling for her.
Dame Vivienne Westwood’s granddaughter Cora Corre, 25, has found love with former model Riccardo Ambrosio, who is now a manager at Soho House in London
Ivy Getty Pins The Grinch’s Latest Look!
She’s never been shy about making a bold fashion statement, but dare I say that heiress Ivy Getty’s latest ensemble reminds me of a glamorous version of Dr. Seuss’ fictional character The Grinch.
In reality, however, the model was anything but a Christmas hater and was in high spirits as she celebrated her 28th birthday in New York.
The great-granddaughter of Jean Paul Getty, the oil magnate who was once the richest man in the world, wore a lime green fur hat, which she paired with a crop top and sequined shorts.
The heiress is married to tech genius Toby Engel, 29, son of former Coronation Street actress Cheryl Prime, but Ivy tells me she’s never watched an episode of the ITV soap opera.
“I haven’t seen it yet, which is very embarrassing,” she says. “I should see it. I only watch MasterChef and the news, which is so depressing.’
Wait till she sees Corrie. . .
The great-granddaughter of Jean Paul Getty, the oil magnate who was once the richest man in the world, wore a lime green fur hat, which she paired with a crop top and sequined shorts
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes may have to reconsider his grand plan for the show.
After previously declaring that he’ll give it to them as long as people still want to watch new episodes, he’s now hinted that it might not be for long. “In terms of my career, I live in the present,” says Lord Fellowes, 73, of the future of historical drama.
“But whatever I say now, I’m probably going to say something that’s dead wrong in five years. When the time comes that people don’t want it, I’ll move on to something else.’
A world without Downton? What would the Earl of Grantham say?
There is no loitering in Swaledale – especially when it comes to Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen’s brood of nine. Although Amanda, who is now estranged from husband Clive, is currently off our screens, their second son Reuben not only stars with his dad in Channel 5’s spin-off Beyond The Yorkshire Farm, but has started his own business, Reuben Owen Limited specializing in “environmental and drainage works”. It’s also not a question of who’s boss; Reuben is the sole director and owns at least 75 percent of the company’s stock.
He just turned 19 last month. So it’s not just the sheep that are growing fast in the Dales.
I got you babe: Cher to get the Mamma Mia! treatment
She transformed Mamma Mia! the musical into a global supertrouper who has raked in billions in films and stage shows alike.
Now producer Judy Craymer, 65, will pour all her love into legendary singer Cher as she works on a new biopic about the singer’s life. But Judy says nothing about who will play the star: “There are all sorts of thoughts about who will play Cher, but she’s in agreement. I think she’s really looking forward to it, but she’s intimidated to see her life on screen. I think she would be very excited about a biopic and I think it will be a gift to an audience – her life, her story and her performances and her funny way. She has great panache.”
Ronnie Wood maybe. . .
Now producer Judy Craymer, 65, will pour all her love into legendary singer Cher as she works on a new biopic about the singer’s life
Who says monarchy is an outdated concept and that the royal family should be swept away? Not Labor Councilor Hamza Taouzzale, 23, Westminster’s youngest Lord Mayor, who took office when the Conservatives lost control of the borough in local elections last May. “I was in the video of the Prince and Princess of Wales for the #TogetherAtChristmas Christmas service,” says Taouzzale, who is also Westminster’s first Muslim Lord Mayor. “That’s just the icing on the cake. It all feels like a dream.”
Has the Wogan pizza empire bitten the crust?
As sons of the late Sir Terry Wogan, they hoped for a slice of the culinary great when they opened a branch of their pizza restaurant franchise on the site of the old BBC studios, where their late father was once king of the airwaves.
But now mystery surrounds the future of Homeslice Pizza, which was launched in 2013 by brothers Mark, 52, and Alan Wogan, 55.
Now that the White City location has closed, the branch has also been removed from the Homeslice website.
That means the company that started with six offices in London now has just three left. The White City branch opened in 2018 on the site of the old BBC studios, which were the spiritual home of Sir Terry, who was one of the BBC’s most popular broadcasters before he died in 2016 at the age of 77.
Does Noel Gallagher look back on his past shenanigans with singer brother Liam with a little less anger?
The Oasis songwriter believes he and his recalcitrant sibling should have taken a break at the height of their fame, which likely would have lengthened their careers as a band.
“If I could go back, I would have taken a five-year hiatus at that point and just let the whole thing land and start over,” he says. “But you have to be cool to think like that, and we weren’t cool, we were just housing estate guys.”
Noel Gallagher believes he and his recalcitrant sibling should have taken a hiatus at the height of their fame, which likely would have lengthened their career as a band
(Very) modern manners
Given that “memories can vary,” as the Queen memorably reflected, the King might have thought to ensure every sip and smile at his Christmas party at Sandringham on Thursday was recorded. If so, then it was a temptation he resisted. “It was kindly but firmly advised that no photographs should be taken,” I am told. “Phones were left in cars.”
Rachel Johnson took a shot at Meghan Markle by introducing a new foreword to her weekly Difficult Women podcast.
At the beginning of each episode, Boris’ younger sister, 57, informs listeners: “Warning, this is not a Meghan Markle-style podcast. Not here, not now. We take difficult things as a compliment, not an insult, and [this is] where women are the heroines of their own lives and not the victims.’ Meow.