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The Princess of Wales could be saved from potential revelations about her private life by her uncle —who is currently appearing on British TV show, Celebrity Big Brother—by Sharon Osbourne, who holds the power to put the royal relative up for eviction within 48 hours of him entering the Big Brother house.
Gary Goldsmith is Kate's maternal uncle, the younger brother of Carole Middleton who was photographed by the paparazzi driving with her daughter in Windsor on Monday.
The 58-year-old has made a name in Britain for his controversial antics and chequered past. He attended the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate in 2011, but made headlines for his party lifestyle at his Spanish villa nicknamed "Le Maison de Bang Bang." In 2017 he was convicted of assaulting his wife outside their London home during a drunken argument.
Subsequently, Goldsmith has become something of a media personality, providing commentary on royal issues as they relate to his sister and niece.
He has been most outspoken in his criticism of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who he said had thrown the royal family "under the bus" in an interview given to The Sun newspaper before he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday.
Goldsmith's inclusion in the reality show's lineup has raised eyebrows in Britain, as the Princess of Wales' recovery from abdominal surgery back in January continues to make front page news.
Kate's absence from public life while she recuperates has sparked a number of conspiracy theories and social media posts, ranging from those questioning whether or not she was "missing" to others speculating on her medical diagnosis.
Kensington Palace have said they will not provide a "running commentary" on the royal's recovery, but as Goldsmith entered the Celebrity Big Brother house, presenter AJ Odudu appeared to try to encourage an update on Kate's location.
Asking if his niece would be watching, Goldsmith replied: "If she is it will be behind a sofa, I guess."
Pushed on where that sofa might be, Goldsmith appeared not to take the bait, responding: "It would be a nice one, in a nice house. I can guarantee that."
In his video introduction for the show, Goldsmith didn't shy away from mentioning his royal links, providing a glimpse at revelations that could follow if he is kept in the show for long enough.
"I'm Gary Goldsmith, the uncle to the future queen of our country, Catherine Middleton, the current Princess of Wales," he said. "She is simply perfect. First time I met [Prince] William, Catherine was cooking and William said: 'Hi, do you want a cup of tea?' Very normal."
Kate and the Middleton family have not commented on Goldsmith's entering the show but any concerns could be about to be mitigated by Osbourne who has entered as a "lodger" (not expected to stay in for the whole run as a contestant).
After entering the house, "Big Brother" gave the star the task of selecting the three housemates who made the "worst first impression"— and one of her selections was Goldsmith. Of these three she will nominate one on Tuesday night to automatically face eviction by public vote on Friday.
Should they choose to, the public could then vote to end Goldsmith's Big Brother appearance after just four days, limiting the chance of his making any revelations about his niece's private life.
In the past, Osbourne has been a vocal fan of the royal family, defending them on a number of talkshow appearances over the years.
Osbourne will announce her choice between Goldsmith, reality star David Potts and internet show host, Zeze Mills, in a segment of Tuesday night's show.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more