Meghan Markle 'charmed everybody' when she partied at billionaire's Staffordshire mansion

The Duchess of Sussex, who was starring in the American TV series Suits at the time, was reportedly looking for work in the UK.

Before hosting a charity gig organised by her publicist, the actress partied the night away at Broughton Hall, the house belonging to Phones4U billionaire John Caudwell.

Former friend of Markles, Nick Ede, arranged the Global Gift Gala and gave her the job of hosting.

Nick told the Express newspaper: "We actually were introduced through her publicist at the time. He introduced us and he was basically saying that she wanted to do stuff in London.

"So, he approached me to get involved and I was organising the Global Gift Gala and was looking for a host for it.

"So then we set the meeting up and we started to chat and then we met and we kind of got on really well.

"We went to John Caldwell's house, the billionaire's house for a party the night before.

"She was absolutely a lovely, gregarious, fun, kind, intelligent woman, who charmed everybody because she really is fabulous."

Markle notoriously made friends with British TV personality Lizzie Cundy at the party, who said she did so on the suggestion of their host.

Cundy told GB News: "I was at a charity event with John Caldwell and he said ‘Look, can you sit next to this girl? She's flown in from Canada’.

“I wanted to be with my mates, I was like, no, I'm gonna sit with my friends and have a giggle, he was like ‘No look after her’.

“But actually we got on really, really well and we did have a huge giggle and she wanted to find an English boyfriend, so I said I can help you."

Caudwell, who is worth approximately £2.4 billion, offered accommodation in Broughton Hall last year to Ukrainian refugees.

The 70-year-old Staffordshire businessman offered a two-bedroom coach house in the grounds of Broughton Hall to refugees fleeing the Russian invasion for "as long as they need it".

Caudwell, who recently welcomed a seventh child, said "I consider this a small gesture and my humanitarian duty."