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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Robbie Griffiths

Londoner’s Diary: Royal storm over ‘forced’ Chelsea nightclub closure

There’s trouble in Chelsea as a nightclub patronised by royals has been forced to shut for more than a year over a dispute with its billionaire landlords, Cadogan Estates.

The 151 Club on King’s Road, right, has hosted Princes William and Harry, who once “slipped out of the fire escape” to avoid photographers.

The Londoner understands that Cadogan Estates has refused to renew the 151 Club’s lease following lockdown, despite it having the correct licence. Managers are in talks with solicitors in the hope of forcing a reopening. The club has been mourned by the Chelsea set. One wrote: “I feel like a piece of me is missing”.

Cadogan Estates, headed by Earl Cadogan, owns large parts of west London. Its value went down by millions during Covid as it supported businesses renting on its property. Cadogan Estates was approached for comment.

Sunak the comedian

Rishi Sunak during a hustings event in Darlington, County Durham (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

RISHI Sunak used yesterday’s leadership hustings in Darlington to test out an alternative career in stand-up. The would-be PM explained he was able to spend a rare night in his Northallerton constituency home, and that his parents were staying over. “I realised I had been campaigning a lot when I was talking to them last night and started telling them my Dad was a GP and my Mum ran the local chemist,” he joked. Watch out, Edinburgh Fringe.

The people’s princess didn’t make for people’s musical

Diana: The Musical show

DIANA: The Musical was one of the biggest flops of last year. It was only on Broadway for a month, and one review of a Netflix filmed version called it a “right royal debacle”. Star Erin Davie now admits that the show’s comedic take on the story of Diana, Princess of Wales “turned a lot of people off”, adding that “some people wondered: ‘How dare you?’” However, the camp show has a cult following, and a return has not been ruled out.

TV and film launches... and Ibiza

STARS Indira Varma and Holliday Grainger launched the new series of BBC show The Capture last night. In Newquay, James Purefoy channelled Justin Timberlake in double denim at the Fisherman’s Friends sequel premiere. Co-star Imelda May didn’t get the memo. In Ibiza, Vogue’s Edward Enninful and actress Ella Balinska posed with friends in the sea.

Florence Given book launch

(Dave Benett)

Florence Given said she hates being called the ‘Voice of a Generation’ at the launch of her first novel in King’s Cross last night. Given, whose feminist illustrations led to many Instagram fans, told us she likes to share less online now but is still open in her work: “I cannot not be honest”.

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