EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Ex-Army chief and magazine guru vie for Eton’s top job

Often considered the most famous school in the world — alumni include Princes William and Harry, as well as 20 prime ministers — Eton College has been the focus of unwelcome attention since the sacking, in rancorous circumstances, of a popular master, Will Knowland, three years ago.

But next week the battle for the soul of the school reaches a new intensity with the final round of interviews for the post of Provost.

The incumbent, former Cabinet minister Lord Waldegrave, has, according to critics, expanded his role to the extent that it now allegedly overshadows that of the Head Master, Simon Henderson, known as ‘Trendy Hendy’ because of his ‘woke’ views.

I can reveal that the two key figures on the shortlist to succeed Waldegrave are erstwhile king of the glossy magazine world Sir Nicholas Coleridge, 66, now chairman of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and a former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, 64.

The pair, plus, I understand, one other candidate, will be assessed by Eton’s Fellows, as the governors of the £46,296-a-year school are known.

 King of the glossy magazine world Sir Nicholas Coleridge, now chairman of the Victoria & Albert Museum is on the shortlist to succeed Lord Waldegrave 

The 12 Fellows, headed by Waldegrave, include Caroline Moore, wife of Coleridge’s longstanding friend, author and scribe Lord (Charles) Moore of Etchingham. He observed that Coleridge, who was chairman of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, is ‘a supreme tactician’.

So is Carter. In one of his final appearances at the Commons Defence Committee, he demonstrated fluency in what one observer dubbed ‘executive jargon’.

Perhaps he’ll persuade Will Knowland — cleared of professional misconduct by the Teaching Regulation Agency — to dine at the Provost’s Lodge before too long?

Former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter is also on the shortlist

The incumbent, former Cabinet minister Lord Waldegrave (left), has, according to critics, expanded his role to the extent that it now allegedly overshadows that of the Head Master, Simon Henderson

 Noel, you’re not louche enough to be a real duke

Now 56, Noel Gallagher evidently feels ready to be elevated to the peerage. ‘I wouldn’t mind being the Duke of Manchester,’ says the Oasis star. ‘If there’s any of that s*** knocking about, that would be good.’

He has already tried out his preferred title at ‘some f****** posh gaffe’. ‘This guy said to me, ‘Where do I recognise you from?’, he explains. ‘And I said, ‘I’m the Duke of Manchester!’

Alas, I fear he lacks the requisite credentials. Thrice-married bigamist Alexander Montagu, 13th Duke of Manchester, 60, has variously been deported from Canada, fired a speargun at his first wife, been jailed in Australia (twice) and the U.S., and worked for underworld ‘fixer’ Tom Erickson. (The latter expired on the day he was due to face 11 charges of threatening to kill.)

Carole admits she was ‘naive’ as party firm goes bust owing millions 

The Princess of Wales’s mother, Carole Middleton, has been left deeply ‘upset’ by the collapse of her mail-order business, a close friend tells me. Yesterday, I reported that she was accused of ‘betrayal’ after Party Pieces went bust, owing £2.6million.

‘Carole is understandably upset and deeply disappointed in this situation,’ the pal says. ‘Over the past five months she really has done her best to find a buyer, who not only would take the business forward, but would also honour any outstanding debts.

‘Carole believes in accountability and accepts she had been a little naive to step back and trust someone else to run the business she had spent decades nurturing and it’s been desperately sad to see the company sold off in this way.’

The friend claims: ‘The truth is Carole had stepped back from the business over three years ago, trusting the day-to-day running to a new management team. Sadly the business took a turn for the worse and by the time she realised, it was just too late.’

However, one of her suppliers told me yesterday that Mrs Middleton had been giving personal assurances that debts owed by Party Pieces would be repaid in full earlier this year.

Awkard timing for Prince William, who, I hear, held his first private talks at Kensington Palace on Wednesday with Sir Keir Starmer. The previous day, Prince Harry had breached royal convention at the High Court by making an extraordinary attack on Rishi Sunak’s Government. ‘The timing was pure coincidence,’ a royal source insists. 

Patsy Kensit wants to become a granny. ‘I’m not sure how I’d like to celebrate my birthday but hopefully with my family and maybe a grandchild,’ says the actress, 55, who’s engaged to property tycoon Patric Cassidy. She has two sons: James Kerr, 29; and Lennon Gallagher, 23. ‘I keep saying to Lennon, ‘Just have a baby’. ‘And I tell Issy [his girlfriend], ‘I’ll look after it. Just do it for me’.’ 

Roger drums up his girls’ support for Queen show 

Roger Taylor’s children have a bit of a love-hate relationship with his band Queen, but they were prepared to join him at the gala night of We Will Rock You nevertheless.

The drummer’s daughters, models Lola, 22, and Tigerlily, 28 (above left and right), watched the jukebox musical, based on the group’s hits, at London’s Coliseum Theatre, before larking around with him at the party afterwards. Tigerlily, whose mother is Taylor’s ex-wife Debbie Leng, admits she was once embarrassed by her father’s band.

‘I used to listen to them so much when I was younger, but I strayed away because I used to get bullied at school. People would put them on at a party and be like, ‘Ha! Ha!’, so I kind of developed a bit of an aversion to them for a while.’