EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Maggi Hambling, the original ‘bad girl of British art’, mourns lover who left horse racing commentator Lord Oaksey for her

The intensity of their first meeting has remained an indelible memory. “People thought I was sick… I was so beaten I couldn’t say anything,” recalls Maggi Hambling, the exuberant artist best known for her giant shell sculpture – a tribute to composer Benjamin Britten – on the pebble coast near Aldeburgh , Suffolk.

But today Hambling is in mourning. Victoria ‘Tory’ Lawrence, who evoked such feelings of longing in her – and with whom she would share forty years of her life – has died at the age of 86.

The couple’s romance was a source of joy for their many friends, and in time for Victoria’s two children, Patrick and Sara. But given that Tory Lawrence was married when Hambling met her – and given that her husband was Lord Oaksey, known to millions as the acclaimed racing commentator John Oaksey – the early days of their love affair inevitably attracted widespread attention.

Even after her marriage to Oaksey ended in what was described as “unfortunately public fashion,” there were aftershocks that neither Hambling nor Tory could have anticipated.

While Tory moved to Hambling’s farm near Saxmundham in Suffolk, Oaksey turned to friends for support, including Frank Crocker, a farmer, and his wife Rachel, known as ‘Chicky’.

Months later, Chicky left Frank and their two children and moved in with Oaksey. The following year, 1988, Chicky and Oaksey married, leading to Oaksey being charged with “indecent conduct.”

Hambling and Tory were spared similar opprobrium – and proved capable of weathering the occasional storm themselves. The indomitable Hambling had an affair with Henrietta Moraes, who had had three marriages and a number of affairs, including one with Lucian Freud and another with Lord Glenconner, the great friend of Princess Margaret, with whom Moraes had a son.

That affair lasted the last year of Moraes’ life. Six years later, Hambling celebrated her 60th birthday by buying ‘a Bentley and ha[ving] An[other] affair’.

But there was never any question of her leaving Tory, whom she cared for with great devotion, while Tory stoically suffered an inoperable brain tumor in her final years.

Life is going well for Holly and Adam

Adam Peaty’s ex-girlfriend Eirianedd Munro gave Holly Ramsay her blessing when the Olympic swimmer proposed to her in September: ‘I couldn’t ask for a better stepmother to my son.’

Holly, the podcaster daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, appears to be close to four-year-old George, Peaty’s son with Eirianedd.

While on holiday in Greece, Holly, 24, was photographed sitting on a paddleboard with Peaty, 29, and George.

“Grateful,” Holly captioned this photo she shared online.

She met Peaty when he took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 on the same series as her sister Tilly.

King Charles has warm words for former ghost Andrew Parker

King Charles will no doubt have said some warm words for former ghost Andrew Parker during their talks at Buckingham Palace on Monday.

The ex-MI5 boss has resigned as Lord Chamberlain, the highest official in the Royal Household, and ‘handed in his wand and badge of office’. He has been a useful extra pair of eyes and ears for the king.

It may have been pure coincidence, but Lord Parker sat right behind Prince Harry and Meghan at St Paul’s Cathedral for the 2022 Platinum Jubilee service.

The missing ingredient in One Day? Sex

His best-selling 2009 novel One Day was adapted into a film starring Anne Hathaway and, more recently, a hit Netflix series. Yet author David Nicholls now believes this something is missing: sex scenes.

“I would try to be more honest about sexual relationships because it’s a love story – there’s something to be said about it,” says Nicholls, inspired by Irish novelists Sally Rooney and Anne Enright.

‘I’m reading Intermezzo [by Rooney] and the wren, the wren [by Enright]. These are people who are smart when it comes to sex and love. I’d like to give myself the note to be more honest about that.’

Tom Parker Bowles tries ‘lucky’ snake blood shot

Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles has gone to great lengths to find the best aphrodisiac.

“I found myself in Kowloon’s ‘Snake Alley,’” he recalled of a trip to a Hong Kong backstreet in Country Life.

About a restaurant he says: ‘When I had chosen my dinner, the angry snake was brought out of his house and presented to me.

‘The bile duct and blood were drained into a shot of baijiu, which I had to swallow. “Your lady was very lucky tonight,” the owner whispered, grinning. I hasten to add that there was no effect whatsoever.’

Chef Skye Gyngell loses his sense of taste due to cancer treatment

Celebrated chef Skye Gyngell cried earlier this year when she predicted she would lose her sense of taste while undergoing radiation therapy for a recurring skin cancer. And unfortunately, her worst fears have now come true.

“Terrible for me as a chef,” says the 61-year-old Australian, who converted the Petersham Nurseries in London into a Michelin-starred restaurant.

However, she is being comforted by her daughters Holly, 34, and Evie, 27. “They have been a great support,” she says.

Bea has a belly buddy

Nutritionist Gabriela Peacock is happy that she is pregnant at the same time as her pal Princess Beatrice.

“I’m so excited for Beatrice. It’s nice to share my pregnancy with my friend,” says Gabriela, 45, godmother to the princess’ daughter, Sienna, three.

The Czech model is expecting her fourth child with hedge fund manager David Peacock.