Fergie's girls see in New Year with the Queen...of cocaine

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Unlikely friends: Kate Moss helps the Duchess celebrate her 45th birthday

She has never been known for good judgment in her private life but the Duchess of York's decision to let her daughters party over the New Year with Kate Moss will raise a lot of eyebrows - even by her standards.

• Kate Moss prepares for her Christmas wedding

The Duchess has decided to take Princesses Beatrice, 18, and Eugenie, 16, on holiday to Thailand, where they will be joined by the cocaine-snorting supermodel and attend an extravagant house party.

They will spend New Year's Eve at a glamorous bash thrown by socialite businessman David Tang at his rented beachside villa on the resort island of Phuket.

Some of London's most dedicated party animals will also be there, including former drug addict Naomi Campbell.

But it is 32-year-old Moss, with whom the Duchess has formed an unlikely friendship, who will cause most concern.

The pair met at Mr Tang's 50th birthday party in Bhutan two years ago - and although their relationship has been kept secret, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that they are good friends who speak regularly on the phone.

In fact, they are so close they will both be taking villas at the self-contained Amanpuri resort over the New Year - news that is likely to alarm the Princesses' father, Prince Andrew, and the Queen, who is said to be especially protective of her granddaughters.

It is not yet known whether Miss Moss's heroin junkie fiance "Potty' Pete Doherty, lead singer of Babyshambles, will be joining the Royals on Phuket.

The 47-year-old Duchess is understood to be renting a five-star villa for six days, close to where Mr Tang - nicknamed Tango - is renting a beachside home.

The Hong Kong-born businessman, who owns the Shanghai Tang store on London's fashionable Sloane Street, is considered to be one of the best connected socialites in Britain and is famous for his lavish parties.

A friend of the late Princess of Wales, Mr Tang holidays on Phuket every year and has invited all his friends who will be there this New Year to his house.

Beatrice and Eugenie will spend Christmas at Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family and the Duchess of York gets to spend every other New Year with her daughters as part of her agreement with her ex-husband.

"The Duchess spent last New Year abroad because she got fed up with spending Christmas on her own at Wood Farm, down the road from Sandringham," a friend revealed.

"She will be spending Christmas without the girls, then take them away for the New Year.

"She loves holidaying with Bea and Eugenie and they share a special bond.

"A few years ago, she took them to the Caribbean, but this year they had a fabulous invitation in Thailand and they're looking forward to their week in the sun.

"Eugenie knows David well because she was at his party in Bhutan where she had the best time ever."

Last night, Mr Tang, who will fly to Thailand on Wednesday with his wife Lucy and their children, confirmed that he will be seeing in 2007 with his high-profile friends - although he refused to discuss exactly who his guests would be.

"We want it to be spontaneous," he said. "We have got quite a few friends who all happen to be in Phuket at the same time.

"Amanpuri is always a big party, it's like St Barts at this time of the year, or St Tropez in the summer.

"We will be doing something on New Year's Eve but I'm too old to be planning things in advance.

"I can't say who will be there but I can say there are a few people far grander than me who will be attending.

"They have all taken homes very close to us so we'll be having something of a do."

Hoteliers Lord and Lady Weinberg, who are old friends of the Tangs, and the Keswick family, who own the £300million Jardine Matheson empire, have also been invited to join Mr Tang's A-list friends.

A spokesman for the Duchess of York declined to comment on her holiday plans.

 

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