TALK OF THE TOWN: Prince Andrew’s ex-girlfriend’s 35-year-marriage is ‘hit by the curse of lockdown’
As a stunning 23-year-old model, she dazzled the young Prince Andrew and the pair went on to enjoy a whirlwind romance.
But after tiring of the constant attention of the paparazzi, Kate Rabett went on to marry Kit Hesketh-Harvey, an irrepressible cabaret performer and composer.
Now I am sad to report that the couple’s 35-year marriage is over, with friends saying the reasons behind it are ‘complicated’.
‘Kit doesn’t want her to leave but Kate has sadly concluded that it’s over,’ says a source.
A friend adds: ‘Kit has moved to a place in the grounds of their Norfolk home and Kate spends most weekdays at a flat in London.
‘Lockdown has been hard on their relationship. Kit’s a special and talented man. This situation is such a shame for them both.’
Kate Rabett, now 61, pictured at the Gentleman of the Year Launch in London, married Kit Hesketh-Harvey, an irrepressible cabaret performer and composer
Another source says: ‘Kit is absolutely heartbroken after such a long marriage. Kate wants out.’
Kate, a former Hot Gossip dancer and actress, hit the front pages in 1984 after catching Andrew’s eye when they bumped into each other leaving a London gallery.
During their fling, she hosted Andrew’s 24th birthday party at her West London home and was reportedly introduced to the Queen, who indicated her approval.
However, within two years she had married Kit, and they held their wedding reception at Chilham Castle in Kent. They went on to have two children – Augusta, now 33, and Rollo, 31. However, their showbiz careers inevitably made family life less than conventional.
Kate, now 61, became a Bond girl in The Living Daylights opposite Timothy Dalton’s 007, played Cissy Meldrum in the BBC sitcom You Rang, M’Lord and starred in the West End before becoming an art historian.
Meanwhile Kit, now 64, was treading the boards as one half of the cabaret act Kit & The Widow, as well as starring in or scripting plays and shows in London and New York.
Kate, a former Hot Gossip dancer and actress, hit the front pages in 1984 after catching Andrew’s eye when they bumped into each other leaving a London gallery
So hectic were their schedules that they often saw each other only once every three weeks, which presented particular challenges when they wanted a second child.
Kate once said: ‘I remember being told we would be doing another series of You Rang, M’Lord.
‘I worked out that if I had sex the next day, I could fit a baby before filming.’
She telephoned her husband, who was in Edinburgh at the time and ‘he flew down to London and it worked. I got pregnant.’
Is real life imitating art for loved up Antonia?
One of her most striking works is a portrait of a couple in an intimate clinch… but where could artist Antonia Showering be getting her inspiration from?
The 30-year-old scion of the Babycham dynasty is enjoying a fledgling romance with David Ross, the 56-year-old Carphone Warehouse founder who has a £670 million fortune.
Antonia Showering, 30, is enjoying a fledgling romance with David Ross, the 56-year-old Carphone Warehouse founder who has a £670 million fortune
Her oil painting is entitled Lies Below and forms part of an exhibition called IRL (In Real Life) at London’s Timothy Taylor gallery
David is just a year younger than Antonia’s father Matthew, but the age gap hasn’t stopped the couple from enjoying cosy suppers at London’s finest restaurants and at Nevill Holt, the tycoon’s stately home in Leicestershire.
And they share a love of art, as David chairs the National Portrait Gallery.
Antonia, who previously dated Game Of Thrones star Alfie Allen, has attended some of London’s most prestigious institutions, including Chelsea Art College.
Her oil painting is entitled Lies Below and forms part of an exhibition called IRL (In Real Life) at London’s Timothy Taylor gallery.
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