It was a no-brainer for Patricia Altschul to spend a good portion of her new memoir honoring her late butler, Michael Kelcourse.
“He was a family member,” Altschul, 84, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her memoir, Eat, Drink, and Remarry: Memories from a Lifetime of Art, Class, and Southern Charm, released on Tuesday, November 11.
“He was the consummate professional, but we also felt like he was a member of our family,” she continued. “He lived here and was with us practically every day. Even on his days off, a lot of times, he wouldn’t want to go any place or do anything but come over and make dinner or play with the dogs.”
Altschul announced Kelcourse’s death in October 2024 with an emotional Instagram post. Kelcourse’s death came years after he suffered a rare acute spinal stroke in February 2021.
“He deserved to be memorialized, and I wanted to do that,” she told Us. “He was with me [for] 18 years. 18 years is a long time.”
Altschul recalled hiring Kelcourse in 2004, after the death of his former boss, who she described as “an ancient dowager who maintained an enormous estate” in New York.
“We met, and I liked everything about him,” she wrote, revealing that Kelcourse was her companion when she was looking at new properties, including Altschul’s iconic Charleston mansion. When Southern Charm premiered in 2014, Kelcourse became a breakout star.
“Michael became the resident expert on cocktails and everything domestic, and so many fans wrote to him for his housekeeping advice that we had to incorporate an ‘Ask Michael’ button on my website,” Altschul recalled.
She also made it clear that they never had a romantic relationship.
“I have trouble writing the words. Did I ever have a romantic relationship with Michael? No … God, no,” Altschul shared. “The relationship between an employer and a butler is completely professional and built on trust and mutual respect. Period. Please don’t ask again.”
All joking aside, Altschul got real when she recalled the morning that Kelcourse had his stroke in her book.
“As he fell to the floor, he pulled the phone down with him and managed to press the ‘All page’ button. ‘Call an ambulance,’ he said into the speaker. ‘I’m having a stroke,’” she wrote. “I was asleep upstairs but woke up when I heard his panicked voice and immediately dialed 911.”
Altschul’s son, Whitney Sudler-Smith, “raced” to Kelcourse’s room and “put a pillow under his head” until the ambulance arrived. The spinal cord stroke left him paralyzed.
“The news of his condition — and the terrible uncertainty of his future — was devastating,” she wrote.Kelcourse moved to a full-time care facility in Florida to be “close to his family” in the years preceding his death.
“Wonderful, dedicated, kind, and exceptional-these were the words people used to describe Michael,” she wrote. “He was all that and so much more.”
Prince William made a surprise appearance on Dancing with the Stars recently to show his support for Robert Irwin.
Robert, son of the late, legendary conservationist and TV personality Steve Irwin, is currently competing on the hit US version of British show Strictly Come Dancing.
During Tuesday’s edition of Dancing with the Stars, Robert, 21, received a message of support from the Prince of Wales.
In a video, during preparation for his foxtrot with pro dance partner Witney Carson, William wished the star the “best of luck”.
William and Robert have developed a close bond after the prince named the 21-year-old an ambassador for The Earthshot Prize last year.
“While your twinkle toes are going off elsewhere, I need him down here. Witney, I need you to get him in as much glitter as you can,” William said in the video message.
“Guys, you’ve got a seriously good chance of winning it, so the best of luck on the show,” he then added.
Robert was blown away by the message, admitting it meant “the absolute world” to him.
“We are doing this dance for Bindi [his sister] and we are doing this dance for Prince William,” he said. “So let’s not mess this up.”
William and Robert joined forces a few years ago, during a video interview in 2021 hosted by Australia Zoo.
They discussed conservation, climate change and The Earth Shot Prize. The Earthshot Prize is an initiative launched by William in 2020. It aims to “mobilise a decade of environmental action to repair the planet”.
Meanwhile, after a meeting in South Africa last year, Robert gushed over their bond during an interview with US Weekly.
He said: “I think Prince William has been such an amazing person to work with, and there is such an incredible synergy between what he does and who he is and who we are.”
“He is a true environmental hero, and so working with him has been a great privilege. We’ve definitely compared a lot of notes. And plus, he’s just a great guy. When you have a conversation with him, he’s the most lovely, intelligent person to talk to and is just so easy-going, so much fun. And I love working with him. He’s a really, really, really good guy,” he added.
Tuesday wasn’t the first time William made a surprise cameo on a show Robert was doing.
Back in June, William left Robert a special message during the star’s appearance on BBC Radio 2.
“I know you’ve got the fantastic Robert Irwin on the show this morning, a brilliant ambassador for The Earthshot Prize,” William said in the message.
The prince then went on to warn that Robert likes to “pull random terrifying animals and creatures out of his pockets while he’s on anyone’s show”.
I think Prince William has been such an amazing person to work with.
On their friendship, Robert said: “I talk to him about animals, and he is on it. He knows exactly what’s going on. In most conversations I have with His Royal Highness, I learn something. I really do.
“It’s this genuine sense of passion. I love that passion. Like that’s what I seek. I seek out people that feel like kindred spirits, you know? So it’s really awesome. Really is.”