Queen's fixer resigns from Jubilee celebrations citing work pressures

LORD LEVENE, the man chosen by Buckingham Palace to organise the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebration in London next year, has resigned at a key stage in the preparations.

The peer, who is in charge of investment banking at Deutsche Bank and a former Mayor of London, has been chairman of the London Committee of the Queen's Golden Jubilee for only six months but stepped down citing "pressures of time".

One report suggested that the 60-year-old peer resigned following a row over the nature of his role with new Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, whose department took charge of national preparations from the Home Office following the general election.

But a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: "There was no question of a falling out.

"He [Lord Levene] had a meeting with the Secretary of State and explained that he reluctantly decided he would not have sufficient time to devote to the task.

"The Secretary of State has thanked him for the work he has put in.

Fortunately, he has stepped down in plenty of time for us to find a replacement.

We are already speaking to individuals of a high calibre to find his successor."

A spokesman for the Palace said: "The Queen was sad to hear of Lord Levene's departure, but it is not a blow to preparations.

"We will work with whoever the Government appoints to ensure that we get the kind of celebration people are expecting.

"In a couple of weeks we are hoping to have more definitive plans about events in central London."

Lord Levene was unavailable for comment.

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