Meghan's designer best friend bags a free £81,000 Jaguar during royal jaunt Down Under

  • Jessica Mulroney and her husband Ben wangling the car free of charge
  • The car, a Jaguar I-Pace will be delivered to their home in Toronto, Canada 
  • The arrangement  was made while the Mulroney's were in Sydney for the Invictus Games

By Richard Eden for The Daily Mail

Published: 18:58 EDT, 2 November 2018 | Updated: 20:16 EDT, 2 November 2018

Best friends Jessica Mulroney and Meghan Markle pose for a photo 

Best friends Jessica Mulroney and Meghan Markle pose for a photo 

Crowds of thousands Down Under have seen how just much the Duchess of Sussex enjoys performing her royal role.

But is her best friend, Jessica Mulroney, enjoying her elevated status a little too much?

I hear that the Canadian fashion stylist and her husband Ben, whose three children had roles in the bridal party at Prince Harry’s wedding, have managed to wangle a brand-new £81,000 car free of charge.

It will be provided by Jaguar, which supplies vehicles to the Royal Family. ‘It’s fair to say it has raised some eyebrows here,’ a Jaguar source tells me.

They are due to take delivery imminently at their home in Toronto, Canada, of a Jaguar I-Pace. Another model of the eco-friendly, all-electric car — which has around the same top speed as a Porsche 911 — was acquired by Prince Charles earlier this year.

The arrangement is understood to have been made while the Mulroneys were in Sydney for the Invictus Games, which Harry established to support injured servicemen and women.

Jaguar Land Rover is one of the event’s most generous sponsors and Ben Mulroney was seen speaking to figures from the Indian-owned car-maker at the Games.

As the daughter-in-law of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, Jessica, 38, enjoys almost royal status in their native country, where her husband is a TV host.

She has been a close friend of Meghan, 37, since the actress moved from California to Toronto, where the legal television drama Suits was filmed. At the Royal Wedding, she acted as ‘unofficial’ maid of honour.

The Jaguar I-Pace is set to be delivered to the couple's home in Toronto, Canada

The Jaguar I-Pace is set to be delivered to the couple's home in Toronto, Canada

Her presence in Australia at the same time as Meghan and Harry attracted much comment. Although the Mulroneys did not travel there in an official capacity, Jessica is understood to have acted as an unpaid stylist and adviser to Meghan.

A spokesman for the Mulroneys tells me: ‘They have not agreed to formally accept a Jaguar i-Pace at this time.’ A Jaguar spokesman adds: ‘We wouldn’t comment on details of any customers.’

Lydia's grand news for Sir Rocco Forte   

Lydia (pictured) posed for a picture in a chic green floral dress and has admitted that the sex of her unborn baby is a boy

Lydia (pictured) posed for a picture in a chic green floral dress and has admitted that the sex of her unborn baby is a boy

Super-fit hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, who has represented Britain at the World Triathlon Championships and competed in Ironman events, is to become a grandfather.

The 73-year-old’s eldest daughter, Lydia, 31, is six months pregnant by her husband, Greek shipping heir Dimitri Chandris, 33.

Lovely Lydia, who works for her family’s hotel empire alongside her sister Irene, 29, and brother Charles, 27, shared online a photograph of herself in Italy, where she cradles her bump in a green floral dress (right).

She reveals: ‘It’s a boy.’

The smart set's talking about... Blooming model Eliza Cummings 

Effervescent Vogue model Eliza Cummings set pulses racing when she starred in an Agent Provocateur advert earlier this year devouring toast while wearing lacy black lingerie.

Eliza Cummings (left) and Greg Williams (right) are expecting a child together and have said they are 'over the moon'

Eliza Cummings (left) and Greg Williams (right) are expecting a child together and have said they are 'over the moon'

Now, the 27-year-old former girlfriend of financier Nat Rothschild has got people talking with her latest look — as an expectant mother.

‘Words cannot describe how over the moon we are,’ says Eliza, who proudly showed off her bump at GQ’s 30th anniversary party at Sushisamba Covent Garden. The baby’s father is Hollywood photographer Greg Williams, 45, (right with Eliza) who split up with the Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite designer Alice Temperley earlier this year.

Eliza, who was discovered by a talent scout aged 15, grew up on a Portsmouth council estate. She has become a society figure largely through her association with Lord Rothschild’s son, who courted her for 18 months until 2014.

It’s hard to believe, but 5ft 9in Eliza says she used to be ‘the ugly kid’ and dropped out of school at 14 because she was bullied. ‘I got my head cut open and stuff, so I said to myself: “No, I don’t need this,” and I left.’

 

Sir Keir Starmer was happy to pocket a knighthood when he stood down as the Director of Public Prosecutions but, now that he’s a Labour MP — and having to keep in with the Corbynites in the Shadow Cabinet — he may be having second thoughts about his ‘K’.

Parliament’s printed record Hansard, which is fastidious about giving MPs their proper titles, confirms that the Shadow Brexit Secretary asked them to refer to him as a plain Mr.

If Sir Keir feels so strongly, shouldn’t he formally renounce his title (and the ladyship it bestows on his wife)?

 

 

Advertisement

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Meghan's designer best friend bags a free £81,000 Jaguar

Most watched News videos

Comments 326

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

What's This?

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.