EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Jeremy Clarkson’s boyfriend is stepping down as chairman of Prince Harry’s charity

Of all the charities close to Prince Harry’s heart, few are more important than Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 as a carefree bachelor, dedicated to fighting poverty and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. But from now on, work will continue without one of its brightest operators, ad kingpin Johnny Hornby.

I can announce that 56-year-old Hornby – half-brother of About A Boy author Nick Hornby and brother-in-law of bestselling thriller writer Robert Harris – has stepped down as trustee after 11 years, the last five of which he served as chairman of Sentebale’s board.

His departure has prompted Harry to pay tribute to his “leadership and vision” and “commitment, partnership and friendship.” Harry and the charity’s co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho describe Hornby’s dedication to the children and young people of southern Africa as “incredible” and thank him for enabling Sentebale to “provide holistic support to thousands of in Lesotho and Botswana’.

Fellow entrepreneurs in cut-throat advertising land recognize Hornby’s talents. “He’s smart, there’s no doubt about that. A smooth operator and a hard commercial man,’ someone tells me, adding that in many ways Hornby is comparable to advertising titan – and his one-time ally – Sir Martin Sorrell.

There’s certainly no questioning Hornby’s smoothness. During his time as a trustee at Sentebale, he was regularly caught in easy, friendly conversation with Harry and Meghan, or discreetly trailed behind them, as he did when the couple attended a London performance of Hamilton, the award-winning rap musical.

The ad king has a business partnership with Jeremy Clarkson, who faced backlash over comments about Meghan Markle in a column. Pictured: Mr Clarkson (left), Mr Hornby (centre) and Kaleeb Cooper (right) at the launch of Hawkstone lager in November 2021

Still, his intimacy with the Sussexes didn’t stop him from recreating an equally warm friendship and professional relationship with someone very far from the couple’s circle – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Jeremy Clarkson.

Sharing the high-octane broadcaster’s ambition and optimism, Hornby joined him in a brewing venture, Hawkstone, to produce a potent lager, as well as a pale ale and a cider.

Their partnership might have gone unnoticed were it not for Clarkson’s decision to write an article late last year pointing out that he hated Meghan on “a cellular level,” adding – seemingly inspired by a scene from Game of Thrones – that he wanted to see her parade naked through the streets, with people throwing feces at her.

When this provoked loud criticism, Clarkson wrote a confidential private letter to Harry on Christmas Day.

It was then, it is said, that Hornby intervened. “Johnny is friends with both Jeremy and Harry, so he was kind of in the thick of it,” said one of Hornby’s allies. “He suggested it would be a good idea if Jeremy apologized.”

Clarkson apparently got the hint and wrote a full and despicable public apology.

It failed to satisfy Harry and Meghan, who issued a statement saying it was “clear that this is not an isolated incident shared in haste, but rather a series of articles shared in hate.”

But in one respect the apology worked: a boycott of Hawkstone lager, which seemed possible – and which had already been instituted by one pub – failed to materialise.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were unhappy with Clarkson’s apology for his comments. It was clear that this is not an isolated incident shared in haste, but rather a series of articles shared in hate. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at the New York Hilton in December 2022

Only the most cynical would suggest that Hornby’s sole motivation was to protect his shared brewing interests with Clarkson. When asked about his work for Sentebale in the past—and whether it could be a stepping stone to a knighthood—he immediately replied, “If anyone deserves one, it’s Harry himself for his work on it.”

But the end of his association with the charity may make things easier for his second wife, Clare, with whom he lives in Notting Hill, west London. Not one to be overshadowed, she founded and runs clothing brand Me+Em’s, worth over £100 million.

When asked last year who had the biggest impact on her business, she answered without hesitation “the Duchess” — not Meghan, but Catherine, who was, of course, the Duchess of Cambridge at the time. ‘There’s no one like her. In terms of global appeal, nothing comes close,” Clare added. ‘Rightly so. She is amazing. So stoic.’

Nothing that even her extremely smooth husband could do about it…