Royal ‘acquaintance’ denies harassing King’s distant cousin
A man who claims to be a ‘social acquaintance’ of royals including Prince Edward has denied harassing a distant cousin of King Charles.
Jack Lyons, 30, is accused of harassing Princess Alexandra’s granddaughter, Zenouska Mowatt, and the Duke of Gloucester’s chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Todd.
Ms Mowatt, 34, is the granddaughter of the late Queen’s cousin Princess Alexandra and works as the head of marketing for an interior design studio.
Lieutenant Cnl Todd is the Chief of Staff to the late Queen’s cousin Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester.
Lyons denies two charges of harassment between February 2023 and May 2024.
He is said to have repeatedly contacted Mr Todd through phone and email while harassing Ms Mowatt on social media.
Lyons was arrested in June after he attempted to contact the private secretaries of King Charles and Prince William while his bail conditions forbade him from contacting any member of the royal family.
Bespectacled Lyons, of Church Street, Wolverhampton, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via video-link.
Lyons claims the contact was wanted and did not amount to harassment.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring remarked that Lyons is ‘obsessed’ with the royal family.
Lyons’ solicitor Chole Bryne said: ‘Mr Lyons will state he has previously met with certain members of the royal family and has previously met the Duke of Kent and that the contact with the Duke of Gloucester and Ms Mowatt was in relation to previous contact with the Duke of Kent and he doesn’t believe the contact which occurred amounted to harassment.’
Lyons told the court the Duke of Kent would come to court to give evidence in his defence, adding: ‘I’m a social acquaintance of them of some importance to them.’
The judge told Ms Byrne he would need clear witness requirements and joked: ‘At the moment we’ve got half the royal family coming.’
Chief Magistrate Goldspring set a one-day trial date for 23 September at City of London Magistrates’ Court.
Lyons said he had ‘nothing scheduled for that date at present’ and the judge told him he must attend.
Lyons replied: ‘My appointments with the royal family supersede this case I’m afraid.’
The judge told him he would try the case in his absence if he did not attend.
‘If you have something very pressing on 23 September it won’t be very pressing because if you are not at court I will proceed in your absence and you will commit a further offence of failure to surrender.’
Lyons denies two charges of harassment.
He was given bail on the conditions he does not enter London, contact the police save for a genuine emergency, contact prosecution witnesses or contact the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
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