EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Zara and Mike Tindall break convention shunning Royal's ... trends now
They have, between them, starred in milk commercials on Chinese TV, notched up sponsorship deals with the likes of Land Rover and Rolex, and appeared on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!.
But there is, I can reveal, a more startling demonstration of how conclusively Zara and Mike Tindall – and Zara's brother, Peter Phillips – have bidden farewell to royal convention.
Unlike the late Queen Elizabeth, or indeed the Duke of York – son of George III, that is, rather than the current holder of that title – and generations of the Royal Family, all of whom have entrusted their legal affairs to eminent London solicitors, Farrer & Co, the trio have endorsed a Chester law firm founded just 11 years ago by Mark Manley.
Their glowing tribute is inescapably displayed on the home page of the firm's website. 'We have always appreciated Mark's knowledge and expertise,' say the trio, 'and most importantly the honest advice and guidance from Manleys'.
It's quite a coup for Manley, a splendidly robust character who has recalled that, rather than coming from a cossetted Home Counties background, he grew up with adoptive parents – 'rich in love but very much not rich in cash!' – in a terrace house in Liverpool.
Mike and Zara Tindall have, between them, starred in milk commercials on Chinese TV, notched up sponsorship deals with the likes of Land Rover and Rolex, and appeared on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! (Mike pictured being evicted and being greeted by Zara)
Mike, Zara and her brother Peter Phillips have endorsed a Chester law firm founded just 11 years ago by Mark Manley (pictured)
'We have always appreciated Mark's knowledge and expertise,' say the trio, 'and most importantly the honest advice and guidance from Manleys', say Zara and Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips in their endorsement of lawyer Mark Manley
But it's far from the only tribute on his firm's website, which is festooned with words of praise from former I'm A Celebrity winner Vicky Pattison, Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy, former soap stars Claire Sweeney and Ricky Whittle – and thrice-married, one-time Atomic Kitten, Kerry Katona.
Zara Tindall and her husband and brother decline to comment on their bond with Manleys – as does the firm.
But there's no doubting the broad appeal of 'The Singing Judge', as Manley says he is affectionately known in piano bars on the Costa Del Sol. He is now, I'm told, acting for businessmen Scott Dylan and Jack Mason, who have acquired Maker&Son, the furniture firm founded by Sir Terence Conran's son-in-law, Alex Willcock, and his grandson, Felix Conran.
As I disclosed last month, the firm has been subjected to a torrent of complaints from customers claiming to have been left empty-handed despite handing over thousands of pounds.
Willcock told me: 'It was sold for £1. Shareholders lost all their investment — over £12 million. The board agreed to that deal so as to ensure that all customers would receive the goods they had ordered, that all suppliers would [be paid] and that staff would be able to continue to work. We are utterly devastated to see what has happened.'
Stars come down to Earth with a bumpPICK OF THE PARTIES
THE OCCASION: Launch party for the BBC Earth Experience, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, at The Daikin Centre, in Earl's Court, West London.
FLEXI-TIME: Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones, 33, and her best friend, the former professional snowboarder Aimee Fuller, 31, show off their flexibility by larking around on the green carpet, where they were joined by former Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis, 28. Katya tells me she still keeps in touch with all her former dance partners: 'It's not always about how far you go, it's about the impact you make, the connections you make and the friends you
