Princess Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith retreats to Ibiza villa to lick wounds after CBB
Princess Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith has fled the UK after reportedly being iced out by the family following his failed Celebrity Big Brother appearance.
According to a well-placed source, Gary Goldsmith has holed himself up in his Ibiza villa – dubbed Le Maison De Bang Bang – while he takes stock over his decision to put the limelight before his niece, Princess Kate, 42.
“It was no secret that Gary going into the Big Brother house wasn’t a particularly welcomed move,” said the source.
“Gary was quite surprised by the reaction to his appearance on the show, especially afterwards.
Gary famously entered the Celebrity Big Brother house after Princess Kate announced she was stepping down from public duties following abdominal surgery.
It was reported at the time that Gary’s sister Carole Middleton wasn’t too pleased about his public profile.
The Middleton family were said to be furious at his agreeing to take part in the show and feared he could reveal family secrets to his housemates.
“Gary is very close to Carole so it’s not something that’s going to cause any long-term damage, but there has been some distance placed between the information divulged,” said the source.
In March, Gary made a grovelling apology after giving an ill-timed interview discussing the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The interview – which features in the ‘Times Magazine’ – came out just hours after Kate made the shock announcement about her cancer diagnosis.
The multimillionaire businessman told The Times that he didn’t believe William and Kate were ‘at their happiest’.
“Gary made a few mistakes but they know his heart is in the right place,” said the source.
“That’s why he went to Ibiza to take stock of everything. He’s determined to rebuild the close relationship he once had with his family but understands it needs time.”
Gary was once so close to Princess Kate that he invited his niece and the heir to the throne to his eight-acre £6.5 million Ibiza mansion, located near Cala Jondal.
Prince William joined the Middletons for the last few days of their August 2006 trip, while he was on a break from Sandhurst.
Photos show William and Kate lounging on a yacht and Gary even admitted the future King tried his hand at DJing.
