EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Earl of Yarmouth may sue his own family after he is thrown off estate

The Duchess of Sussex has spoken of her struggle to adapt to life as a Royal. 

But it can be just as difficult to marry into the aristocracy.

City high-flier Kelsey Wells has laid bare the disdain which has greeted her since she wed William Seymour, Earl of Yarmouth — and which now threatens to lead to the courts.

Kelsey, 34, married the Earl, 26, last year and has just given birth to their first child, Clement. He will eventually succeed not only to his father’s title but also that of his grandfather, the Marquess of Hertford.

But far from being welcome at the Seymours’ sumptuous 110-room Warwickshire seat, Ragley Hall, Kelsey and William and their baby are living in a cottage beyond the boundary of the family’s 6,000-acres.

‘You could fit the entire square footage of this cottage into the Great Hall at Ragley,’ William reflects.

Their ostracism, the couple believe, results from alleged social faux pas by privately educated Kelsey, whose father is a management consultant and mother a former dance teacher.

These included calling the butler at Ragley by his Christian name — and using Lady Hertford’s bathroom.

‘I nipped in for a moment to finish off my make-up,’ Kelsey explains in January’s Tatler. Shortly after, her fiance was ‘berated for letting me use the bathroom without permission’.

Worse followed when William’s aunt, Lady Carolyn Seymour, wrote to him saying their wedding invitation was ‘embarrassingly awful’ — because it stipulated ‘Morning Dress’ — and signing off: ‘You pompous ass/t*t/p**** — take your pick.’

It was Lady Carolyn who informed the couple this summer that they must leave their home on the estate, The Bothy, and move to their current home to accommodate a carer for William’s grandmother, Pamela, Dowager Marchioness of Hertford.

Now William, who claims he should receive an income from land left by his grandfather, is set to sue his family. 

‘I’ve had to put the matter in the hands of my solicitor,’ says William, who regrets that he is now estranged from his three siblings, including Edward, who was his best man.

The smart set’s talking about…

Lady Emily’s glittering debut

The Marquess of Northampton’s party-loving daughter Lady Emily Compton retreated from the London scene after marrying financier Ed Horner in 2012. 

Now, she has returned to put the sparkle back into society.

A former social editor of Tatler, she has designed her debut jewellery line with stylist friend Olivia Buckingham. Named RockChic, it features pieces ranging from £550 to £12,500.

‘It’s taken us a year to design it and we’ve had so much fun,’ Lady Emily tells me at the Mayfair bash to launch the range at jeweller Pragnell.

Other socialites such as Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy have designed jewellery ranges. 

But Lady Emily, 39, says: ‘We’re different because we design something that you can wear from day to night. I’m the type of person who will put earrings on and live in them for a month. The ones I’m wearing now I literally sleep in.’

For my next trick…Emma’s post-Strictly plans

With Viscountess Weymouth no longer able to weave her magic on Strictly Come Dancing, she’s busy picking up tips from the professionals.

Magician Archie Manners, pictured left, put Emma, the wife of Longleat heir Ceawlin Thynn, under his spell at the launch of the Tanqueray Townhouse in London.

The 26-year-old performed an ‘ambitious card trick’ in which he skilfully made the cards disappear, then reappear in surprising places. 

Fresh from her success on Strictly, Lady Weymouth tells me she has ‘lots of exciting projects’ lined up. 

She spent ages chatting with Beauty And The Beast star Luke Evans (centre), so could she have her sights set on Hollywood?

It’s the restaurant where Theresa May entertained French president Emmanuel Macron, but Sir Michael Parkinson’s pub The Royal Oak has been put on the market. 

‘It is with a heavy heart that I have made this decision, but an opportunity has arisen that would make it near impossible to carry on with the Oak,’ Parky’s son Nick — who runs the hostelry near Maidenhead — reveals. His favourite guest was the Queen. 

‘She’s a very, very easy person — no fuss at all. When we had Macron, we had loads of police, loads of security, people in vans with Uzi guns. The Queen just turned up with a couple of detectives — and that was it. And she’s far more important than Macron, isn’t she?’

Queen’s horses romp in for £178k

People keep saying the Queen has suffered another annus horribilis, but this weekend she’s celebrating.

Her Majesty sold nine horses for a total of more than 170,000 guineas [£178,500] at Tattersalls Newmarket, the oldest bloodstock auctioneer in the world.

One horse, which she presciently called Shrewdness, fetched 50,000 guineas [£52,500], while another, Sharp Practice, went under the hammer for 5,000 [£5,250]. 

Jimmy George, of Tattersalls, tells me: ‘Her Majesty breeds racehorses very successfully and they are always highly sought after.’

The Royal Family enjoy buying each other cheap Christmas presents, but perhaps this year the Queen could treat herself to something special?

Max Irons made viewers swoon in BBC hit The White Queen, but he saved his most heart-felt performance for off screen.

The 33-year-old son of Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons married Tatler’s fashion director Sophie Pera last weekend near his parents’ home in Oxfordshire.

‘It spanned the English countryside, poetry readings, a horse-drawn carriage, a roastie feast, and the most brilliant laughter and happy tears,’ said guest Whitney Robinson. 

Max’s mother, actress Sinead Cusack, has been married to his dad for 41 years.

Pete Townshend, who wrote Roger Daltrey’s line ‘Hope I die before I get old’ on The Who’s My Generation, admits to being worried about the generational difference between him and his wife, Rachel Fuller.

Musician Rachel is 28 years his junior. Towshend, 74, admits: ‘There’s a huge age gap, and I thought, “This isn’t going to last — I’ll be croaking before she’s 30.”’

The couple celebrate their third wedding anniversary this month. Towshend, who has an estimated fortune of £40 million, was previously married to film composer’s daughter Karen Astley.

Television’s poshest reporter has become engaged — and her fiance is suitably pukka.

Sky News correspondent Ali Fortescue, 28-year-old granddaughter of the 6th Earl Fortescue, is to wed Eton-educated barrister Fred Alliott. 

‘Hearts will be broken across the newsroom,’ one of her colleagues tells me.

Award-winning Ali confirms she’s engaged to fellow Oxford graduate Fred, but declines to say when the wedding will be.

Charity plea to Princes: ‘Don’t pull plug on polo’

Prince Harry’s decision to cut back on his polo-playing after marrying Meghan Markle has hit one of his best friend’s charities.

The Henry Van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, set up after the 18-year-old died in a car crash in 2002, warns it expects to suffer a loss of income after its joint patrons, Harry and brother Prince William, stopped playing so many charity polo matches.

‘Unfortunately, our patrons, who have generously supported the fund with the proceeds from their polo matches for nine years, have decided to stop playing,’ say the trustees, who include Henry’s brother Thomas — a lifelong friend of Harry and William, and godfather to Princess Charlotte.

‘This will have a significant impact on our unrestricted income, which we have relied on to cover administration expenses and the cost of our tertiary education programme.’

Earlier this year, I disclosed that the Audi Polo Challenge would not go ahead amid claims the car-maker was asked to increase massively its donation to Prince Harry’s good causes. Kensington Palace denied suggestions that Audi was asked to donate £1 million — and that Meghan inspired the increase.

Last year, Harry raised £1 million for his African charity when he played in the Sentebale Polo Cup, which he hosts annually.

‘This is the sort of money they want to be making through polo from now on,’ said Malcolm Borwick of Royal Salute, which sponsored the cup in 2017.

The Van Straubenzee Fund trustees add: ‘We have been informed that [Harry and William] are planning an alternative fundraising initiative for us and other charities.’

A Kensington Palace source is keen to point out that the Princes continue to support the fund and played in a charity match in July.

Prince Charles has made millions for his charities with his Duchy Originals food range, and now one of his relations could put her name to a fashion range.

Prince Michael of Kent’s daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, tells me: ‘I love fashion, and I love the idea of designing something.’ 

Speaking at a private party, the 38-year-old consultant adds: ‘I think a collaboration with a brand would be very exciting. I haven’t designed anything before, but who knows what might happen.’

Doubt she’d be allowed to use the Windsor name, though.