London's other royals

Prince Rupert Loewenstein of Bavaria (and Richmond) Important, is he?

Most impressive is that he is the the man in charge of Mick Jagger's chequebook.

Why so?

The Prince is business manager of the Rolling Stones.

When the Robert Morley look-alike was appointed 30 years ago, he had never heard of the band.

Is he more of a rock 'n' roller is now?

Not really. "He doesn't live the rock lifestyle, but he does live with it," says an acquaintance of the band. "He's more of an opera and fine-wine man. And he doesn't wear his royalty on his sleeve. I have never heard him mention it."

A fabulously rich man, he divides his time between Richmond and Hollywood.

You think he might like to talk us through his life story over a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem 1945?

Doubt it. "You need 16 passwords to get anywhere near Rupert," adds the acquaintance. "He is clever, alert and great fun," adds a lunch guest. "He is also a fabulous mimic."

Princess Margarita of Romania (and Cobham) Who's she when she's at home?

She's not at home she's in Cobham. She's the daughter of King Michael, who is also not at home - he lives in Geneva.

Her claim to fame?

A prudent love affair between 1968 and 1973 with Gordon Brown, whom she met when they were both students at Edinburgh University.

A post neo-classical affair no doubt?

No doubt about it. "It was a very solid and romantic love story," she said a few years ago. Marriage was on the cards at one point.

Then disaster. "I never stopped loving him, but one day it didn't seem right any more. It was politics, politics, politics - and I needed nurturing."

Post-affair?

The princess remains unmarried. Now 51, she runs the Princess Margarita Trust, which helps Romanian orphans. She attended a party at the Romanian embassy in London this week, which suggests her relationship with the current government there is pretty good.

Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (and Claridge's) Where's he from?

Well, Claridge's, actually. He was born in the hotel in 1945.

That's Claridge's in Brook Street, W1, right?

Wrong. Brook Street, Yugoslavia. Rather graciously, the UK government declared the hotel - or Room 201, to be precise - to be temporary Yugoslav territory.

What does he do now?

He's an insurance broker here in London.

And he also does a lot of work for charity.

What might he do in the future?

The Prince has never claimed his title but is regarded as a key player in reuniting his country after the collapse of Slobodan Milosevic's regime.

"He is not a pretentious pretender," says a friend. "He is very easy to talk to and works very hard. He is not like King Constantine - he doesn't particularly want his throne back - but he has discreetly let it be known that he is available to serve his country in any way."

Archduke Geza von Habsburg of Austria (and Fulham) Who he?

A mere hop away from the Austrian throne, he is the great-great grandson of Emperor Franz Joseph.

He lives quietly in Fulham.

He's an auctioneer?

He was. Though now a Londoner, he was for some time the boss of a Geneva-based auction company.

His interests?

Horology, jewellery and Old Masters. He has given up impressionism.

A lovely bloke?

Yes, or to be more precise, "the great geezer", to use the nickname Archduke Geza has been lumbered with by the wits in the auction trade.

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