Mail: The Wales family sailed around Greece on the Lady Beatrice yacht

Soon after Prince William and Kate’s appearance at the Wimbledon men’s final in July, they headed to Greece for a luxurious vacation on a private yacht. They brought their three kids, plus Carole and Michael Middleton. At first, only Greek outlets reported the Wales family’s yacht vacay. Then, soon after the family returned to the UK (I think), the Mail confirmed in their backhanded way that yes, the family had been on vacation in Greece and they definitely borrowed a yacht, although they didn’t know which yacht. What surprised everyone is that any British outlet even bothered reporting anything at all about the work-shy Waleses’ eighth vacation of the year. Something shifted though, and I guess the Mail could no longer avoid gossiping about it. Well, now the Mail has some more information about the vacation AND the yacht. According to this new report, the family wasn’t sailing around on a yacht owned by some Emirate billionaire. This yacht belonged to a British private equity guy?

Most people enjoy a royal mystery, and none more so than the people of Kefalonia. Nothing much gets past the enchanted island’s wily inhabitants but even the most razor-sharp were left in the dark about aspects of William and Kate’s recent holiday. Perhaps because the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children George, 12, Charlotte, ten, and seven-year-old Louis spent most of it on a superyacht, only setting foot on land when arriving and departing. Sightings were fleeting – if that – and difficult to verify.

The big question, though, was whose yacht were the royals on? In fact, as The Mail on Sunday reveals exclusively today, only now does it appear that the mystery has been finally solved. First, though, a recap. Initially, it was reported that the Prince and Princess were sailing around Kefalonia and other Ionian islands in a £340million megayacht owned by a prominent member of the UAE royal family. The Mail on Sunday established that this was false. Other possibilities included 90m (295ft) Norn – which is owned by Microsoft mogul Charles Simonyi. Again, this proved unlikely. Then a retired civil servant, Penelope Likoudi, said that she had seen Kate and on board the Almax.

Her account appeared credible, especially when it turned out that the £40million Almax is one of the world’s first fuel-cell superyachts and is described as a ‘huge milestone in the future of sustainable boating’ – something that would appeal to the eco-conscious Prince. However, the Almax then turned up three days later in Kefalonia’s main town, Argostoli, with a different party on board. So had the royals got off elsewhere? Or was Penelope mistaken about the boat they were on?

Now, citing impeccable sources, Kefalonia Press, a well-regarded news website, says it has confirmed that William and co were on a different boat: Lady Beatrice. The Lady Beatrice was the prized possession of Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay, former owners of the Telegraph Media Group. The Barclay twins treasured the 60m (197ft) yacht – it is named after their late mother – and decorated its interiors according to their eclectic tastes, with pin-striped sofa seating, faux Greek columns, and a Renaissance-style fresco ceiling in the formal dining area. It has suites capable of accommodating 16 passengers, with dining areas on the main and lower decks, and a pool on its top deck.

This year it was reported that Sir Frederick had sold Lady Beatrice for around £20million to British financier and entrepreneur Peter Dubens, to help repay debts across their corporate empire. If the new owner’s name sounds unfamiliar it is hardly surprising. Though super rich, Mr Dubens, 58, keeps a low profile. The founder of private equity firm Oakley Capital and chairman of Time Out Group, the magazine publisher, he bought Lady Beatrice through a company based in Bermuda.

There appears no obvious link between Mr Dubens and the royals. Two years ago, however, his firm, Oakley, was brought in as an investor by Thomas’s Battersea, the school attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Oakley became a minority stakeholder in the family-owned business that runs the school.

[From The Daily Mail]

It’s interesting, I guess. It probably “looks better” that the family was on a yacht owned by British vulture capitalists as opposed to oil-rich Emirate princelings. I’m sure some people will find the connection to the Telegraph sort of interesting, but hey, the Telegraph was going to kiss William and Kate’s asses regardless of their connections to the newspaper’s former owners. Basically, this story is significant not because of the reveal of which yacht and who owns this particular yacht. It’s significant because the Mail is writing openly about the endless royal vacations and William and Kate’s laziness in particular.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.