Princess grieves Russian millionaire toy boy`s death
Princess Michael of Kent is "very distressed" over the death of her alleged valentine Russian furniture tycoon Mikhail Kravchenko. He has been killed in Moscow in what is believed to be a contract murder.
ґ"Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are very distressed to hear of this tragedy," Simon Astaire, spokesman for the couple, told The Daily Mail.
The princess, 67, has long been denying having an affair with Kravchenko, 21 years her junior, saying they were just "very good friends."
Contrary to the princess`s claims, Kravchenko was numerously pictured with Princess Michael. In 2006 the two were captured holding hands and taking gondola rides on their four-day-long trip to Venice. The princess and Mikhail Kravchenko were said to have shared a suite in one of Venice`s fanciest hotels.
The close relationship between the tycoon and the princess earned Kravchenko the nickname "toy boy".
The Russian millionaire Mikhail Kravchenko, 46, was found dead near his Mercedes outside Moscow. His car was trapped on the road by two unknown gunmen. The founder of Russia`s most successful furniture brand 8 Marta was shot six times in the head and body.
The media suggest that Kravchenko`s murder could be related to his business. The company`s debts and competitors` scheming were named among the possible motives.
The news of Kravchenko`s murder left his employees and friends shocked.
"We are really confused. We can`t imagine what problems related to the company`s activity could possibly lead to this," Gazeta.ru website quotes Svetlana Savelieva, head of PR at 8 Marta.
Unlike other Russian tycoons, Kravchenko was often seen without bodyguards.
"He would never have even bothered with bodyguards; he felt no need to use them. He felt no threat at all. For us, as for the inner circle of people who worked closely with him, it was an absolute shock to hear," the Daily Mail quotes his aide, Marina Sherstyuk.
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