An expert on the British royal family who gave interviews in an upper class accent at Harry and Meghan’s wedding says his life has been ruined since it was revealed he is actually an American from upstate New York.
Thomas J. Mace-Archer-Mills, who was born Thomas ‘Tommy’ Muscatello, said that in the week since his past was exposed he has received a torrent of abuse including people telling him to kill himself.
Despite referring to ‘we British’ in a number of interviews, he denies ever lying about where he is from and says his place of birth doesn’t affect his ability to teach people about the monarchy.
On his accent, he said it is the product of hours of expensive elocution lessons he took in an attempt to assimilate into Britain, which he considers to be his home.
Thomas J. Mace-Archer-Mills presents himself as a British expert on the royals, but was in fact born in upstate New York – a fact that was revealed to the world a week ago (pictured, Mr Mills standing in front of the Duchess of Cambridge at a function)
Mr Mills said since his past was revealed he has been subjected to a torrent of abuse – mainly from Americans – including some messages telling him to kill himself
Sought after by the world’s media, Thomas has contributed to many television and radio programmes as well as on the news and in print, including for the Royal Wedding
Speaking to The Sun Online, Mr Mills said: ‘I feel that everything I’ve worked for has been destroyed.
‘I feel like I’m under attack from people I’ve been kind to – people who I have given time and knowledge to.
‘I’m very passionate about history and the monarchy and I know what I’m talking about – no matter how much people want to rubbish me and say I’m not an expert.’
It was the Wall Street Journal that first exposed Mr Mills’ past, describing him as ‘an Italian-American from upstate New York’.
The article paints a picture of a somewhat eccentric youth who developed a love for the UK thanks to family holiday in Kent, where he learned to ride horses.
The paper says Mills began picking up an accent after starring as Mr. Sowerberry in a school production of Oliver Twist, and sometimes greeted friends with ‘God save the Queen.’
He was a real estate developer in Miami until business went south in the recession, and relocated permanently to the UK in 2012.
Mr Mills says the Journal misrepresented the article to him, omitted truths from the final version and took statements from his family out of context.
He particularly rankles at the suggestion he ever greeted anyone with ‘God save the Queen’, because the phrase is not meant as a salutation.
‘There’s a time and a place to say “God Save The Queen.” How absolutely daft is it to say I start and end conversations with it?,’ he said.
Despite posing as a Brit, Mr Mills says that most of the abuse he has received has been from Americans and he feels some of it has bordered on racism.
He argues that being born in America has no bearing on whether his knowledge about Britain and the royals is valid.
Mr Mills speaks in an upper class English accent which he says is the product of hours of expensive elocution lessons which he took in an attempt to assimilate into the UK
On his website, he says of his speaking voice, ‘Thomas’ delivery is exceptional. His diction and annunciation is excellent, whilst his communication is property timed, clear and concise’
On his website, Mr Mills describes himself as an ‘educational speaker’ who gives lectures and instructs at primary and secondary schools and other groups.
‘Thomas speaks on a wide range of topics with Royal themes, including his popular niche brand of discussions about the Royals and their drinking habits,’ it says.
In honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Mace-Archer-Mills penned his first book ‘with permission of the Palace, to which he was granted the use of the official Diamond Jubilee logo. ‘To The Queen: A Royal Drinkology’ sold 5,000 copies in the months following the central Jubilee weekend.’
He adds: ‘Thomas understands the formula to successful monarchies… from the examples set forth by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and her father King George VI.’
And he even alludes to his posh accent, saying: ‘Thomas’ delivery is exceptional. His diction and annunciation is excellent, whilst his communication is property timed, clear and concise.
‘In understanding sacrifice, duty and service, Thomas has single handed-ly [sic] pushed the monarchist movement to new heights within the United Kingdom, by founding the British Monarchist Society and Foundation, an organisation dedicated to educating the nation about the positive attributes of the monarchy.’
According to the Wall Street Journal, his love of England started when he was a boy and ‘had an innate feeling for British pronunciation as a youth, picking up his accent in a variety of ways, primarily from visiting the UK’.
Changing from Tommy Muscatello into Mr Mace-Archer-Mills, he said, was due to a growing realisation that he identified more as British than American: ‘I found where I’m supposed to be and who I am supposed to be’.
The publication describes him enjoying early years in Kent, where he learned to ‘ride my horses’. He is apparently applying for British citizenship.
Mr Mace-Archer-Mills told WSJ he saw himself as a subject-matter-expert, and that his day job was in real estate. But he revealed that his obsession with royalty began while growing up in Bolton Landing, New York, an hour north of Albany: ‘even my toys had a royal nature’.
Mr Mace-Archer-Mills said he identified more as British than American: ‘I found where I’m supposed to be and who I am supposed to be’
Reporting from Kensington Palace: Mr Monarchy
Jim Miller, his high school music teacher, told the publication that during a production of Oliver, he recalled Tommy being ‘able to duplicate a British accent’.
Mr Monarchy said that his triple-barrelled surname is a melding of the names of friends and distant relatives, including a family of Archers in England.
He formed the British Monarchist Society in 2012, ‘as an educated and popular response to the rising tide of republicanism,’ which is dedicated to education about the Crown and members of the Royal family, according to his website.
In 2015 Mr Mace-Archer-Mills began publishing Crown and Country magazine, focusing on royal-themed topics.
There has been a mixed reaction to the WSJ article, with one reader saying it could be called ‘cultural appropriation’ while another said he hoped ‘this pretentious fellow gets that useless citizenship and abandons our proud citizenship’.