Ambassador for motorsport

Among the sleaze, sex and tragedy exposed — rightly or wrongly —by the Daily Mail, Prince Michael of Kent has been a recent recent victim.

His so-called crimes are that he pays council house rent for a grace-and-favour apartment in Kensington Palace, lives in a manor house in Gloucestershire, earns fees for Royal appearances, has had Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Aston Martin cars, and rides horses.

These revelations from Geoffrey Levy and Richard Kay gave them a two-page spread in the Mail.

I find it odd that such a right-wing paper should object to the Prince’s lifestyle, after Eton, Sandhurst and 20 years in the Royal Hussars.

Personally, I am more worried that those who rent council houses pay a rent of over 15000 a year.

It is really no business of mine where Prince Michael lives or how much money he earns. I just think he has done much good as an ambassador for motoring sport, with frequent attendances at such events.

There are the visits to the Brooklands Museum, of which he is Royal Patron, his Hon Membership of the BRDC, and his ability to drive successfully in Brighton Veteran Car Runs. He also took his turn in the ‘Mother Gun’ Bentley’s successful record run at

Millbrook, where the benchmark was raised to some 108mph for 1000 miles. All the drivers, including the Prince, later put in 125mph laps.

The Mail did however, acknowledge HRH’s work for over 120 charities, involving an average of nearly three engagements a week.