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Anthony Bailey (PR advisor)

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Anthony Bailey
GCSS GCHS
Bailey in 2012
Born (1970-01-13) 13 January 1970 (age 54)
London, England
NationalityRepublic of Ireland
United Kingdom (until 2023)[1]
OccupationPublic relations consultant
Spouse
Marie-Therese von Hohenberg
​
​
(m. 2007; div. 2018)​
Children1
Websiteanthonybailey.org

Anthony John James Bailey GCSS GCHS (born 13 January 1970) is a British-born, Irish[1] public relations consultant.

Bailey was active in UK political circles in the early 2000s, and has also had roles with various charities and Catholic organisations. He has received various honours, including an Order of the British Empire (OBE) awarded in the 2008 Birthday Honours. However, he has also been stripped of various honours, including the OBE, which was revoked in 2023 after a London High Court judge sentenced him to prison for contempt of court in a 2022 divorce settlement hearing.

Personal life and background

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The son of an Irish mother, Veronica, and an English father, Colin, Bailey was born in London on 13 January 1970 and brought up in Ruislip, attending The Douay Martyrs School,[2] then University College London.[a] His father was an engineer and instructor at FÁS, an Irish state body responsible for training the unemployed.[5] Before entering public relations, Bailey sold men's suits and worked in a pizza restaurant.[2]

Public relations

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Bailey was a senior account director for communications firm Burson-Marsteller, which he joined in 1993,[2] chairman of his own company Eligo International (incorporated in 1998), then chairman of Anthony Bailey Ltd, a public relations company incorporated in 2014. Eligo International was dissolved in January 2016 with their final accounts showing funds of -£85,000.[6] Anthony Bailey Ltd did not trade until 2016, and in accounts posted that year showed liabilities of more than £40,000.[7] Anthony Bailey Ltd was dissolved by order of Companies House in October 2020.[8] Its most recent accounts from 2018 showed it had built up losses of more than £220,000.[8]

In 2006, Bailey assisted with the first British royal marriage to take place at the Vatican since the Reformation. Described as the couple's friend, spokesman and wedding planner, he supported the Catholic wedding of Lord Nicholas Windsor, son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, to British-born Croatian aristocrat Princess Paola Doimi de Lupis Frankopan Šubić Zrinski. The couple had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace before a small ceremony.[1]

In 2007 The Observer referred to Bailey as a "PR guru who is one of the most influential men you have never heard of" and "a key player in the world of Catholic and Middle East politics."[2] Bailey's descriptions of his own occupation have included "Public Relations Consultant" (2010), "Royal And Diplomatic Consultant" (2011), and "Head R. Order of Knighthood" (2004).[9]

Politics

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Bailey was co-president of the think-tank British Influence and a supporter of Britain's membership of both the European Union and the Commonwealth.[10] He was a supporter of the Conservative Party until 1999 from which time he aligned himself with the Labour Party.[11] He made a substantial donation to the failed leadership campaign of David Miliband in 2010.[11]

In 2005, it emerged that a £500,000 donation Bailey had made to the Labour Party had been rejected by its chief fundraiser, Lord Levy, who allegedly feared the money had come from foreign businessmen. Bailey insisted the money was his own and issued legal proceedings. He later said: "The Labour party has apologised unreservedly for any distress that the affair caused". A subsequent donation of £50,000 was accepted.[2]

New version of a royal order of knighthood

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In the 1990s, Bailey "revived" the so-called "Delegation for Great Britain and Ireland of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George", under the authority of Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, who is the "Franco-Neapolitan branch" claimant to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.[12] (The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies has controlled no territory since the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was suppressed in 1860. Since 1960 the headship of the House has been disputed.) In 2009 Bailey was appointed "magistral delegate" of the Delegation, and the organisation has awarded him other honours.[13] Bailey has never been an officer or member of the long-established version of the Order, which is under the authority of Prince Pedro, Duke of Calabria, the "Hispano-Neapolitan branch" claimant to the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The longstanding version of the Order has no connection with Bailey, nor with his business activities, nor with the order of which he is described as "delegate".[14]

In December 2020, Bailey resigned from all the roles he held in his branch of the Constantinian Order, citing its impact on his "physical and mental health",[15] though his personal website still lists him as a "campaigner" for the order. There has been no announcement of a successor, although the order's website continues to be maintained.

Charity activities

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Bailey was appointed in 1999 as executive chairman of the Saudi organization "Painting & Patronage".[16] (The UK company "Painting and Patronage" was dissolved in 2014.[17]) From December 2005 to November 2013, Bailey was a director of the United Learning Trust.[18] He was, from December 2009 to July 2016, a director of St Mary's University.[19]

In 2016, Bailey was appointed President of the Executive Council of the Portuguese Centenary Appeal.[20] He is also a Patron of the Faiths Forum for London.[21]

Controversies

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In 1995 police recorded his telephone conversations with a client, who claimed to be a Libyan prince. Bailey was accused of blackmailing the client, but the case was dismissed before it got to court.[2] Bailey complained to the Press Complaints Commission about the way this was reported in the Daily Mail in 2010; in resolution, the PCC negotiated a statement from the Mail that it had omitted some details in reporting these circumstances, and that it apologised for any distress caused.[22]

Bailey claimed to be Ambassador-at-Large for The Gambia between 2004 and 2007,[23][24] though the Gambian High Commission in London said at the time that they don't know much about him and "He has no office here".[25]

According to the Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell, Bailey asked to be made the country's ambassador to the Holy See, which Mitchell rejected.[26]

Honours granted and removed

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In the 2008 Birthday Honours, Bailey was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for his services to inter-religious relations and charity."[27] This was revoked in August 2023[28] following Bailey's failure to obey court orders.[29]

In 2014, Bailey was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation, by the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda.[30] In May 2016, the British tabloid The Mail on Sunday reported that Bailey was accused of incorrectly using an Antiguan knighthood as if it were a British title. (Since 1813 Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office have not allowed the use of titles from foreign knighthoods in the United Kingdom by British citizens.[31][32])

Bailey also stated that he had Antiguan citizenship based on his Antiguan passport, issued when he was appointed as their special economic envoy to the European Union in 2015.[33] The Antiguan government did confirm that Bailey's passport inaccurately stated that he is a national of Antigua and Barbuda. However, Bailey was never granted Antiguan citizenship, whether by investment or otherwise.[34]

The British firm that prints the passports apparently assumed that anyone to be issued an Antigua and Barbuda passport would be a national of that country, and they were not informed that this did not apply to Bailey.[34] Bailey's knighthood and his appointment as an economic envoy then became subject to review by the Antiguan Governor General.[34] On 21 July 2017 his Antiguan knighthood was annulled.[30][35] He remarked: "It is unfortunate that this important goodwill and interfaith engagement has been damaged by a farcical and Machiavellian side show akin to an Ealing comedy. The strong political overtones to this dirty campaign which are well documented and the internal chivalric war led by some highly questionable and unchristian individuals is regrettable."[1]

Bailey was granted a Grenadian knighthood in 2015.[36] The government of Grenada reviewed this grant and took legal advice; the knighthood was rescinded in August 2016.[37] In December 2016 Private Eye reported that Bailey's lawyers were issuing legal warning letters to any Caribbean local newspapers which had reported on the knighthood controversies.[38]

Divorce and prison sentence

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In 2007, Bailey married Marie-Therese von Hohenberg. Their "glittering society wedding" in Salzburg followed a lavish engagement party held at St John's in London's Smith Square attended by royalty and around 40 ambassadors.[1] They had a son, Maximilian, in 2010, and lived in Twickenham, south-west London.[1] They separated in 2016,[39] Hohenberg instigated divorce proceedings, and Bailey was subsequently accused of failing to make court-ordered payments of £2 million to his ex-wife.[40]

On 1 February 2022, the High Court in London gave Bailey a 12-month prison sentence for contempt of court.[41][39] The order followed an application by his ex-wife over Bailey's failure to comply with a court order relating to the couple's divorce settlement, which included a half-share of his villa in Portugal. The judge, Mr Justice Peel, said that Bailey had been "obstructing the court at almost every possible opportunity, deploying numerous tactical and forensic ploys to attempt to delay the process, and divert attention from his grossly culpable conduct". His behaviour displayed "dishonesty, wilful obstruction, and barefaced contempt for the court process, all to avoid paying that which is owed to his former wife. It is a shameful spectacle deserving of considerable opprobrium."[42] Bailey was believed to be in Portugal (in January 2022 he claimed to be too ill to travel, but he had made seven trips to Spain, Germany, Rome, and the US between June 2021 and January 2022, and the judge on this occasion, Sir Jonathan Cohen, discovered that he was actually in Florida).[42][43] The prison sentence will only take effect if he returns to the United Kingdom.[44]

In February 2023, it was announced that Bailey was engaged to a Florida socialite, Ms Farley Rentschler of Palm Beach[45] (the couple had previously been seen at various US social events, including a New York party in September 2022,[46] and a British Art reception[47] and a Palm Beach white tie centennial ball[48] in January 2023). Rentschler and Canadian aristocrat Cyril Woods were implicated in Bailey's contempt of court and, in their absence, were each given prison sentences of four months by the court.[49] Woods, like Bailey, had his Antiguan knighthood revoked in 2017[35] and was a trustee of the Portuguese Centenary Appeal.[50]

In August 2023, Bailey was reported to be living in Portugal, and claimed to be working for the King of Tonga. Apparently renouncing his British citizenship, he described himself as "an Irish national", and "a true internationalist, a proud European, an Irishman living in Portugal, father to an amazing son, diplomat & interfaith and charity campaigner."[1]

Honours and awards

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For many years, Bailey has sought honours and awards, particularly those of chivalric orders. Some were received in exchange for awards bestowed by Bailey's recreated order of knighthood, and some awards received have since been revoked amid controversy.

Revoked honours

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Publications

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  • "How do we tell the real story?", pp. 61–69 in Having Faith in Foreign Policy, London, (2007)[58]

References

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  1. ^ The Observer says London School of Economics, but this may relate to an event Bailey organised there. Bailey's company website and his LinkedIn profile both say he graduated from the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies in 1991.[3][4]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Kelly, Guy (28 August 2023). "From Tony Blair's super fixer to obscurity – the unravelling of Anthony Bailey". Telegraph. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Jamie Doward, "PR guru behind Brown cash drive", The Observer 27 May 2007, accessed 14 June 2016
  3. ^ "Official Biography of Anthony Bailey, OBE". Anthony Bailey Consulting. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Anthony Bailey". Linkedin. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. ^ "A royal match: how Anthony wooed his Austrian princess". Irish Independent. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  6. ^ "ELIGO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – Filing history (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  7. ^ "ANTHONY BAILEY LTD – Filing history (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "ANTHONY BAILEY LTD - Filing history (free information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  9. ^ Companies House. Anthony John James BAILEY. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/ATTybqoFMvUd7C5WNn4RExkde6E/appointments accessed 9 4 2017
  10. ^ "British Influence" website Archived 20 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 20 June 2016
  11. ^ a b Muir, Hugh (26 August 2010). "Diary". The Guardian.
  12. ^ "Catholic Order disowns honours awards to Caribbean leaders". Cayman Island News. 25 August 2016.
  13. ^ Website of Constantinian Order, accessed 20 June 2016
  14. ^ Guy Stair Sainty, vice-grand chancellor of the Order Archived 13 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. As reported in http://antiguaobserver.com/catholic-order-disowns-honours-awards-to-caribbean-leaders/ Antigua Observer. 24 August 2016. "The Order purportedly revived in the UK by Bailey is described on its website as the "Delegation for Great Britain and Ireland"; however, in a follow-up email, Guy Stair Sainty, vice-grand chancellor of the Order, said it has no connection with Bailey, his business activities or the order of which he is described as "delegate". Sainty explained that the Constantinian Order concentrates primarily on its Catholic mission and never "exchanges" its membership with anyone for any reason since this would be contrary to the statutes and character of the Order as a Catholic, chivalric, confraternal institution. "Neither are we interested in expensive entertainments nor in constant publicity, which is why we have not issued any public statement until now, when the good name of our Order has repeatedly been the subject of so much critical commentary", he added. Sainty went on to note that the grant of awards for “'interfaith' services or whatever" to the likes of President Assad of Syria and former President Saleh of Yemen and various state officials in other countries, including the Caribbean, has no worth. "The self-evident conflict of interest between Mr Bailey’s role as a businessman apparently acting on behalf of states for fees, yet exchanging decorations of this controversial Constantinian Order … and then claiming awards in return would appear to be entirely contrary to the spirit of this ancient Catholic institution", he said."
  15. ^ "Personal Statement from British and Irish Delegate Anthony Bailey". Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Painting and Patronage" website, accessed 20 June 2016
  17. ^ "PAINTING & PATRONAGE LIMITED – Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  18. ^ Companies House
  19. ^ "St Mary's University, Twickenham". Companies House. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  20. ^ Centenary Appeal, Archived in May 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  21. ^ Patrons - website of Faiths Forum for London. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  22. ^ Press Complaints Commission website, accessed 20 June 2016. Archived from original on 21 December 2016.
  23. ^ "Ambassador for Hire". ES magazine. London, England. 29 February 2008.
  24. ^ "Son of Tramore couple to marry Austrian Princess". The Munster Express. Waterford, Ireland. 26 January 2007.
  25. ^ "Pendennis | 7 Days | The Observer". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  26. ^ a b c Brown, David. "Labour peer 'helped PR consultant friend secure knighthood'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  27. ^ a b "No. 58729". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 9.
  28. ^ a b "Honours and Awards (22 August 2023)". London Gazette. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  29. ^ a b "List of individuals who have forfeited their honour - August 2023". Government of the United Kingdom. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  30. ^ a b c "Honours and Awards: Office of the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda". The London Gazette. No. 62016. 7 August 2017. p. 15017.
  31. ^ London Gazette, 1 June 2016, accessed 9 June 2016
  32. ^ "Something of the Knight...", Private Eye, no, 1420, 10 June 2016
  33. ^ Sir Anthony Bailey defends his Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship – The Antigua Observer, 1 June 2016
  34. ^ a b c "Another Caribbean diplomatic passport raises questions". Caribbean News Now!. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  35. ^ a b "GG annuls controversial knighthoods". Antigua News Room. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Grenada becomes embroiled in Caribbean knighthoods scandal". Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  37. ^ Murdoch, Kieron (18 August 2016). "Sir Anthony's Grenada knighthood to be revoked". The Daily Observer. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  38. ^ "Bailey's bottle". Private Eye. London: Pressdram Ltd. 9 December 2016.
  39. ^ a b Pritchard, Henry (10 February 2022). "The importance of being earnest: Bailey v Bailey (Committal) (Rev1) [2022] EWFC 5". Class Legal. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  40. ^ Southworth, Phoebe (28 September 2021). "Tony Blair's former fundraiser accused of failing to pay £2m to his Austrian princess ex-wife". Telegraph. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  41. ^ Bailey v Bailey (Committal) (Rev1), England and Wales Family Court (High Court Judges, Feb 4, 2022. Casemine. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  42. ^ a b "Man in the Eye Anthony Bailey". Private Eye. London: Pressdram Ltd. 18 February 2022. p. 13.
  43. ^ Hyde, John (8 February 2022). "Divorcee who showed 'barefaced contempt' for court faces jail". Law Gazette. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  44. ^ Brown, David (2 February 2022). "PR man who left the country owing wife £1m is sentenced to jail". The Times. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  45. ^ "Anthony Bailey, previously married to the great-granddaughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, is engaged to a Florida socialite". Tatler. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  46. ^ "Kick-Off At The Cushing's For The Salvation Army Of Palm Beach's Paradise Ball". Getty Images. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  47. ^ "PHOTOS: the American Friends of British Art Reception". Palm Beach Daily News. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  48. ^ Dangremond, Sam (18 January 2023). "Inside the Palm Beach Salvation Army Paradise Ball". Town & Country. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  49. ^ Caldwell, Simon (7 February 2022). "Blair's Catholic 'Mr Fixit' gets jail for failing to pay £1million divorce settlement to aristocrat ex-wife". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  50. ^ "Cyril Woods of Slane agrees to act as a trustee of the Portuguese Centenary Appeal". The Portuguese Appeal. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  51. ^ ACTA BENEDICTI PP. XVI, 5 Septembris 2008 – ACTA APOSTOLICAE SEDIS
  52. ^ ACTA IOANNIS PAULI PP. II, 7 Ianuarii 2005 – ACTA APOSTOLICAE SEDIS
  53. ^ "Exchange of honours between Constantinian Order and Colombia". Independent Catholic News. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  54. ^ Independent Catholic News, 9 February 2012, accessed 13 June 2016
  55. ^ Order dedicated to the Holy Land invests new members - website of the newspaper The Irish Catholic
  56. ^ "People 2007-8 Archive:Awards, Appointments, Elections and Honours", University College London website, accessed 20 June 2016
  57. ^ The Catholic Herald. Archived 26 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  58. ^ Alex Bigham (ed.), Having Faith in Foreign Policy Archived 20 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Foreign Policy Centre, 2007 ISBN 978-1-905833-09-2(accessed 19 June 2016)
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