Just In! Earl of Snowdown Replies!

The Daily Mail has posted a response to Nicky Haslam's reclaims that he had an affair with the Earl of Snowdon. The quote is after the jump.

Just in! 2nd Baron Hesketh's Trustees Sell Painting!

Just in!

No less than an hour ago, the trustees of the 2nd Baron Hesketh sold Gabriel Metsu's painting "A Woman Selling Game From A Stall" for ₤1,161,250 at Sotheby's in London. The guide price on this item was ₤1,200,000. With all of the talk surrounding a "recovery" in the art market, this comes as a bit of a surprise.

To see the item, click here.

Just in! Croome Court Looted!

Just in!

The former ancestral seat of the Earl's of Coventry has been looted by thieves. Until the death of the 11th Earl in 2002, Croome Court was the family home. However, after the 11th Earl's death, his wife, the Countess of Coventry (now known as Rachel Coventry) sold the estate in 2007 a for rumored ₤3.5 million.

It seems that the new owners were unable to keep up the mortgage payments on the home. The new owners did try to sell the house for a ₤1.95 million, but eventually slashed the price to ₤1.65 million. Despite the desperate attempts to sell the pile, it was repossessed by the bank in January of this year.

The thieves, who are thought to have raided Croome Court between June 16 and July 3 stole over ₤200,000 worth of fittings, including the kitchen sink.

Some of the stolen items include: 11 oak doors, a chandelier, a stainless steel sink and the rear wrought-iron gates.

Croome Court consists of:
A 10,000 square foot main house
A cottage
Bird house
Pond
Tennis court
...and many more features...

We'll keep you posted on this story.

Just in! Inside the Earl of Devon's Financial Woes

As previously stated, the Earl of Devon is set to sell some of the "family silver" in order to pay for repairs at Powderham Castle. The Earl has been in the news because of his refusal to allow civil unions at his ancestral seat, which prompted the local council to pull the castle's marriage license.

The Aristo News has just learned that Lord Devon sold THE COURTENAY COMPENDIUM through Sotheby's for the price of ₤937,250 on December 3, 2008. A description of the item which is a collection of English and Far-Eastern accounts that includes Marco Polo's Description of the World has been in the Earl's family since 1536.

More recently, on June 10, 2009, Lord Devon sold a copy of Dante Alighieri's LE TERZE RIME for a meager ₤1,500 through Sotheby's.

In less than a year, Lord Devon has raised ₤938,750 through the sale of priceless manuscripts. With the pending Sotheby's sale, maybe this money is solely for repairs. Or, have there been financial woes for the Earl for some time and now they're just coming to light?

One of the lots up for sale at the July 14, 2009 Sotheby's sale is VINDICATION OF CHARACTER AND CONDUCT by Sir William Waller. This document recounts the English Civil War and came into the family through the marriage of Sir William's daughter, Margaret, to Sir William Courtenay. This document is valued between ₤10,000-₤15,000. Click here to see the item.

As always, we'll keep you posted as this story develops.

To see the items previously sold through Sotheby's click here and here.

Just in! Earl of Snowdon Speaks Out Against Prince of Wales

The Earl of Snowdon, Princess Margaret's ex-husband, has spoken out against the Prince Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales. Lord Snowdon claims that the ceremony was "bogus as hell" and that his uniform for the event harkened to a cinema usher. Ouch.

As this is the fortieth anniversary of Prince Charles' investiture, we'll see how these revelations play out over the next few weeks.

We'll keep you posted.

Just in! The Earl and Countess of Cardigan Have Divorced!

The Daily Mail is reporting that after an eighteen month divorce battle, the Earl and Countess of Cardigan have finally parted ways.

Lord Cardigan told the Mail that the agreement was not amicable, while Lady Cardigan isn't said to be estatic with the news, but she is moving on. As per the arrangement, Lady Cardigan will move into Leigh Hill House, which is situated on the edge of the Savernake Forest Estate. Lord Cardigan will remain in Savernake Lodge, which is three miles from Leigh Hill House.

It's said that the Earl may move his American girlfriend, Joanne Hill, onto the estate, which could create a bit of drama. However, due to a shared custody agreement with her ex-husband, that may prove sticky.

The Earl and Countess of Cardigan have two children.