Duke of Westminster pays Michael McIntyre £40k for show at son's lavish 21st birthday party
Paid: Comic Michael McIntyre earned £1,000 a minute performing for the Duke of Westminster's son's party
Britain’s richest man, the Duke of Westminster, spent almost £40,000 hiring comic Michael McIntyre to appear as a surprise guest at his son’s lavish 21st birthday party last night.
Former Britain’s Got Talent judge McIntyre performed a 40-minute routine for the Duke’s son, Hugh, and more than 200 family and friends, including Prince Harry.
Both the Duke and his son are said to be huge fans of McIntyre, 35, who will have earned £1,000 a minute for his brief appearance.
The party was held at the Duke’s 17th Century, 10,827-acre estate, Eaton Hall in Eccleston, Cheshire.
The Duke, 60, also booked hip-hop stars Rizzle Kicks and a host of stellar performers for Hugh, heir to the family’s £6.7 billion fortune.
Guests from around the country were staying at various hotels in Chester paid for by the Duke.
He is believed to have spent £26,000 on transport, ferrying guests back and forth from their hotels to the venue.
So exclusive were tickets to the event that, according to sources, the Duke ordered that all vehicles picking up party-goers had to have their doors sealed with tape when leaving for the venue to show that no gatecrashers managed to get into the cars mid-journey.
A source said: ‘The event was huge. None of the guests knew who was performing until the last moment to keep things a surprise. Because it was so discreet and there were so many VIPs attending, the Duke wanted to ensure there were no gatecrashers.’
Exclusive: The Duke of Westminster will host the party for his son and 200 guests, including Prince Harry, at his family pile in Cheshire
Hugh holds the honorary title Earl Grosvenor but is the heir to the Duke, owner of the vast property company Grosvenor Group.
Through his company Grosvenor Estates, the Duke owns vast swathes of land in Lancashire, Cheshire and Scotland, as well as large areas of Mayfair and Belgravia in Central London.
A spokesman for Grosvenor Estates said last night: ‘There is a party being hosted by the Duke and Duchess at Eaton Hall to celebrate their son’s 21st birthday. I’m sure it will be fantastic.’
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