EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Business is a family affair for Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank as he changes the name of his drinks company as a tribute to the couple’s son

George VI is said to have commented that the royal family is ‘not a family, but a firm’.

And Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank is determined to show that his own business is a true family business.

I can reveal he has changed the name of his drinks company to AEB Consultants Ltd in tribute to the couple’s sons – the initials stand for August and Ernest Brooksbank.

And to further strengthen family ties, he has appointed his mother, Nicola, 70, as director of the company.

His spokesperson confirmed the move and told me: ‘Jack is very happy that his mother is on board. She provides all back-office support.’

It’s a moving move by Brooksbank, 37, considering his father, George, died less than two years ago, just three days before August’s baptism.

George, who had a life-threatening battle with Covid last year, was 72. The obituary said: ‘I loved all the good things in life but especially his wife, friends, boys, daughters-in-law and grandchildren.’

Jack’s spokesperson tells me that the company’s name change reflects the fact that it has become a consultancy specializing in the leisure, hospitality and real estate sectors.

The company, which has £765,000 in assets according to the latest accounts, is currently described as a ‘wholesaler of wine, beer, spirits and other alcoholic beverages’.

Maybe Jack can give his father-in-law, Prince Andrew, a job too? He has been out of work since stepping back from his royal duties in 2019.

Royal cellist grounded due to BA error

He performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, but Sheku Kanneh-Mason barely got the royal treatment from British Airways.

The airline refused to allow the cellist and his musical instrument to board a flight home from Romania.

“I arrived at the airport early with my cello and my two confirmed tickets, one for me and one for the cello,” says 24-year-old Sheku.

‘I wasn’t allowed on board with my cello and yet the blame was placed heavily on my shoulders. No solution was offered, no compensation.’

A BA spokesperson told me: ‘We have apologized to our customers for this error and are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.’

Shah’s grief over a Bond girl’s wife

Former newspaper owner Eddy Shah mourns his wife, actress and model Jennifer White, who has died aged 80.

She starred in a 1967 parody adaptation of Casino Royale, starring David Niven as James Bond and Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd, as well as in films such as Carry On Doctor.

Jennifer had three children with Shah, 79, who caused a stir when he launched the Today newspaper in 1986, with full-colour printing.

She died surrounded by her family at home in Wiltshire ‘after a long, chronic and painful illness’, a family spokesman said.

She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the 1980s, “at the same time that the unions were attacking Shah’s printing company.

‘She was told three times that she would not last more than two months.’

King Charles was a model of diplomatic smile at the state banquet of the Palace of Versailles, but inside he may have shuddered. France’s inveterately tactile president, Emmanuel Macron, put his arm around him and patted his back.

One of the king’s oldest friends tells me, “His Majesty absolutely hates being touched.” President Joe Biden continued to touch him in Windsor earlier this year. Now he has been grabbed by the handy Macron.

At this rate, HM must feel like a prize tomato at the Malvern Autumn Show.

A roaring twentieth for Freya

How about this for a really wild birthday party? Freya Aspinall celebrated her 20th birthday with a slumber party with one of the lion cubs at her father Damian’s wildlife park in Kent.

Although the model calls herself a “Lion Mom,” she says her cubs are not pets because they will be “re-feraled” back to Africa. “If you’re wondering why there are lions in the house, don’t get the wrong impression: they’re not pets at all,” says Freya, the daughter of actress Donna Air.

Rock star and celebrity snapper Bryan Adams was surprised when he was asked to photograph the late queen for her golden jubilee.

“My agent said, ‘Are you busy on Wednesday? We’d like you to shoot the queen and it will be at her home.’ I even said, “What house is that?” (It was) Buckingham Palace.”

The late queen was intrigued by the Canadian’s large format camera. “She came down with the corgis. She said, ‘Oh, we haven’t seen that one in a while.'”

The resulting image is considered one of the best depictions of Queen Elizabeth’s later years.

Singing ban silences Cathy at Tina musical

Increased tensions among theatergoers in the West End have led to a ban on audience members singing along with performers after fights broke out in auditoriums.

And Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman was left frustrated by the rules at The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theater during a gala performance this week.

“It took me every bone in my body not to sing along during the performance,” says the 49-year-old presenter. “I even went to karaoke last Saturday to practice.”

She adds: “I was dressed for Tina and brought out the glitter. I just wanted to be the best.’

The website for the jukebox musical, in which Karis Anderson plays the late singer, states: ‘Tina is the queen of rock & roll, and her singing is unlike any other, so please let our professional cast do all the singing and talking during the jukebox. the show.’

Boogie-woogie pianist Jools Holland wants to apologize.

“I’m ashamed to say that when The Tube was still running, I preferred to open the floodgates so people could be vulgar on television,” he tells me at the Boisdale Music Awards in Canary Wharf, east London.

When 65-year-old Holland presented Channel 4’s music program in the 1980s, he used the words ‘groovy f***ers’.

He says: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the nation.’

Morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse was among those who complained about his foul language. “I actually wrote her back to apologize and said, ‘I completely agree with you.’ She was very happy with my letter.’