And although Phillips insists his ‘bid’ to organise the lunch was submitted to Buckingham Palace ‘through the normal channels’, his business credentials don’t appear to extend far from his close family.
It claims on its website only three clients, including this year’s Patron’s lunch and the Gatcombe Festival of British Eventing — which takes place on, er, Princess Anne’s Gloucestershire estate.
In other words, two out of his three customers are his mother and his grandmother. The third is the Longines event.
Surprisingly, for an outfit entrusted with organising an event of such national and international importance as the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations, SEL UK’s latest accounts to June 2014 show net assets of just £14,537 — although it does, of course, have the backing of the Australian operation.
a not-for-profit event, the royal street party is supported by a host of high-profile sponsors, including drinks giant Diageo, which is providing Pimm’s, Boots and Marks & Spencer, which is supplying the hamper lunch.
This raises an obvious question: with so many multi-billion-pound FTSE 100 firms involved, why are guests being charged?
A spokesman for the Patron’s Lunch said that while the partners’ backing is generous, it doesn’t cover all the costs, which are ‘significant’. According to Phillips, SEL is being paid a set fee — although the exact amount remains secret. But the real benefit to his Australian employers is undoubtedly the priceless global publicity and kudos.
Which is perhaps why the financial arrangements for the 90th birthday celebration have created a certain amount of disquiet.
‘The feeling is that this hasn’t been handled terribly well, and they (Peter and his firm) have got a lot of ground to make up if it is going to be a success,’ said one royal source.
oops sorry 
