Buckingham Palace could soon be given a blingtastic makeover.
I hear that the party planner who masterminded David and Victoria Beckham’s £500,000 Irish castle reception is expected to organise Princess Beatrice’s wedding festivities.
At the Beckhams’ nuptials, the footballer and his wife sat on golden thrones, so speculation will be feverish about how Prince Andrew’s elder daughter and her property developer groom, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, will choose to celebrate.
Princess Beatrice is pictured above with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The ceremony will be held on May 29 at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace
The man behind the Beckhams’ party was Peregrine Armstrong-Jones, a well-connected party planner who also orchestrated the Windsor wedding of Bea’s sister, Princess Eugenie, to tequila salesman Jack Brooksbank.
Old Etonian Armstrong-Jones, the half-brother of the late Earl of Snowdon, declines to comment on Bea’s wedding, but a friend tells me: ‘He is in talks about organising the reception.’
With Peregrine’s help, Posh and Becks chose a Robin Hood theme and dressed the setting with greenery, twigs and apples.
At the Beckhams’ nuptials, the footballer and his wife sat on golden thrones, above, so speculation will be feverish about how Prince Andrew’s elder daughter and her property developer groom, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, will choose to celebrate
The man behind the Beckhams’ party was Peregrine Armstrong-Jones, a well-connected party planner who also orchestrated the Windsor wedding of Bea’s sister, Princess Eugenie, to tequila salesman Jack Brooksbank
The colour scheme was rich and opulent, with burgundy, dark green and cardinal purple. To bring about their vision they hired two florists.
As I disclosed a fortnight ago, the Queen offered to host Bea’s wedding reception at Buckingham Palace. It will be held in marquees in the gardens.
The ceremony will be held on May 29 at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace.
Armstrong-Jones’s firm, Bentley’s Entertainments, boasts ‘a client list that encompasses royalty, Hollywood A-listers and respected professionals from all over the world’, according to its website — including Sir Elton John and Prince Albert of Monaco.
Launched in 1984, it has also organised the nuptials of Zara and Mike Tindall, Autumn and Peter Phillips, and Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt.
A friend of Beatrice is keen to stress that contracts have not yet been signed.
Will The Animals play at Emma’s Longleat festival?
The classiest music festival this summer will be a jamboree that Strictly Come Dancing star Viscountess Weymouth is going to stage some 20 miles away at her husband’s 10,000-acre Wiltshire estate
Forget Glastonbury, the classiest music festival this summer will be a jamboree that Strictly Come Dancing star Viscountess Weymouth is going to stage some 20 miles away at her husband’s 10,000-acre Wiltshire estate.
‘We’re so excited to be holding our first music festival in Longleat in July,’ Emma Weymouth tells me at the Perrier-Jouet Artisan Of The Wild Magazine launch party in Soho.
‘It’ll be the biggest event we’ve ever had.’
Glastonbury’s founder, Michael Eavis, held discussions with Emma’s husband, Viscount Weymouth, and father-in-law, the Marquess of Bath, about switching his rock festival to Longleat from his working farm in Somerset for a year, but the negotiations fell through.
Now, Emma says of their own event: ‘It will be a mixture of music, food and will also involve the safari park.
‘We have been keeping everything top secret — it will all be very exciting and fun.’
My tips for headliners are Gorillaz, Def Leppard . . . and the Pet Shop Boys.
The smart set’s talking about…
Laurence Fox’s ‘woke’ ex
Since the Leftie-baiting Laurence Fox revealed he’d broken up with a girlfriend because of her right-on ‘woke’ views, friends have been desperate to discover her identity.
Now, I can disclose that she is television director and writer Emilia Reid (pictured).
‘Laurence and Emilia went out together last year,’ confirms one of her friends.
‘As Laurence has explained, they soon discovered that they weren’t compatible for a long-term relationship.’
Now, I can disclose that she is television director and writer Emilia Reid (pictured). ‘Laurence and Emilia went out together last year,’ confirms one of her friends
Fox, 41, who starred as Sgt Hathaway in ITV series Lewis, said he’d broken up with the unnamed girlfriend last year when they rowed about the allegations of sexual assault against American judge Brett Kavanaugh.
They also clashed after she praised a television advert for shaving firm Gillette which criticised ‘toxic masculinity’.
Emilia’s friend tells me: ‘She has her own views and a boyfriend should respect that.’
Laurence — who has two children with his ex-wife, the actress Billie Piper — said he now avoided courting women under the age of 35 because they were ‘absolutely bonkers’.
He caused controversy on BBC1’s Question Time programme last month when he accused mixed-race audience member Rachel Boyle of a racist comment after the university lecturer said he was unable to appreciate racism against the Duchess of Sussex because he was a ‘white, privileged male’.
Some unkind souls claim Stephen Fry gives off a whiff of smug self-satisfaction, but his true odour is ‘old books’.
That’s according to perfumer Azzi Glasser, who has created a cologne for the broadcaster.
‘Old Books is the first one she diagnosed for me and, absurd as the name may seem, the actual fragrance entirely lives up to it,’ Fry gushes on sampling the scent.
‘I am in a library, I am happy, excited and filled with the double sense of calm and adventure that libraries and old books promise. And yet this is a scent to wear and like.’
Smells like hogwash to me.
Prince signs up England keeper…
Prince William is determined to show the monarchy is in safe hands.
I hear the future king held private talks with England goalkeeper Joe Hart at Kensington Palace this week.
The Duke of Cambridge is president of the Football Association and the meeting is understood to have been to discuss his Heads Together campaign, which encourages people to discuss their mental health.
A spokesman declines to say if Hart’s glamorous wife, Kimberly Crew, was invited to meet the Duchess of Cambridge.
But Kimberly was spotted in her best frock with Hart afterwards at the Ivy Kensington Brasserie around the corner.
The Oxfordshire beauty has revealed that some of her ungrateful suitors have continued to court other women at the same time as going out with her
(Very) modern manners
Surely men should be thanking their lucky stars if Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke deigns to grant them a date?
But the Oxfordshire beauty has revealed that some of her ungrateful suitors have continued to court other women at the same time as going out with her.
The 33-year-old management consultant’s daughter says she’s been left bemused by ‘this whole exclusive relationship vs non-exclusive relationship’ business.
Certain individuals, she says, who shall remain nameless, have tried to justify their two-timing by insisting: ‘But we’re not exclusive.’
Emilia says: ‘I do not understand, speaking from experience.’
Come on Emilia, time to name names.
While Britt Ekland has endured a turbulent love life, her exes’ are even more colourful.
The Seventies sex symbol has revealed that her former husband, Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom, is to marry a fellow rock musician 41 years younger than her.
Britt is 77, while Jim’s fiancee, Jennie Vee, is 36. Britt describes Jennie as ‘very pretty’.
The actress, who was previously wed to comedy legend Peter Sellers, says she remains ‘extremely close’ to 58-year-old Phantom, real name James McDonnell.
Of their marriage, she has remarked: ‘The age difference was never an issue.’ Let’s hope Slim copes with a younger woman just as easily.
Why Armani’s dress code will knock your (colourful) socks off
Getting dressed for work sounds like a rather nerve-racking experience if you’re employed by Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.
‘I will send someone home to change if they are wearing another brand with a big logo,’ he declares.
‘That I don’t find respectful.’
Of his dress code, he explains: ‘I require the men who are on the board to wear a suit.
‘It’s OK for more creative figures, such as the people in my design team, to not wear one. But I don’t like them to be too loud in their choice of colours or extravagant in their personal style, as it distracts me when I’m designing.’
And it’s not just what chaps wear that concerns him. ‘I don’t think a man should dye his hair,’ he muses.
‘Instead, he should let it grey naturally. It speaks of his journey — and in any case looks distinguished and attractive.’
Don’t think Giorgio’s not keeping a beady eye on your legs either.
‘Colourful socks can work well — but, as with all clothing, you need to match the look to your personality.
‘It takes a strong personality to carry off colourful socks.’
It’s Ta-ra for Ferry’s son and his lover
Friends of Roxy Music crooner Bryan Ferry’s son, Tara, hoped he was ready to settle down when he fell in love with beautiful finance whizz Caroline Brady.
But I can reveal the Burberry model and artist, 29, is back on the singles market after splitting up with the 28-year-old, who works for investment giant BlackRock as vice-president of sustainable investing.
‘Everyone thought they were going to go the distance, but it just didn’t work out,’ confirms Tara’s pal.
‘But he’s feeling very optimistic and he’s already back on the dating scene.’
Friends of Roxy Music crooner Bryan Ferry’s son, Tara, hoped he was ready to settle down when he fell in love with beautiful finance whizz Caroline Brady