'British' royal expert 'exposed as Tommy from New York'

Those watching the royal wedding on foreign channels may not have been surprised to see a 'royal expert' with a plummy voice and a triple-barreled name explaining the festivities to viewers.

However, a man who calls himself Thomas J Mace-Archer-Mills Esq was reportedly not all he seemed.

Mr "Mace-Archer-Mills" has built himself a relatively large media platform over the past few years, touting himself as an expert on the British royals, speaking in an English accent - but, according to US media reports, he is a New Yorker named Thomas “Tommy” Muscatello.

Mr Muscatello appeared on multiple foreign networks over the weekend, wearing tweed and a bow tie, pronouncing his opinions on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Producers seemingly thought they were commissioning a bona fide upper-crust British man.

His website lists scores of broadcasters who have enlisted his views on royal matters including many BBC radio stations, as well as many from around the globe.

Thomas Muscatello
Thomas Muscatello

He told a US channel from a five-star hotel that the Duchess of Sussex should not upstage existing members of the royal family “especially when you’re coming in the way you are”.

The royal enthusiast also told a Norwegian broadcaster that the marriage should be about "keeping integrity, keeping formality and making sure that the traditions and heritage that we have as British people remain at the forefront".

He said of Ms Markle in a video recorded outside Buckingham Palace: “She is loud, she is American, she fights for her cause. We don’t do that here.

“We do things quietly with dignity.

“Ms Markle is going to be a little bit challenged when it comes to that because she’s so used to doing things the American way, which is not the British way.”

The "royal expert" was so widely-interviewed that one piece described him as "the most interviewed man" on the subject of the royal wedding. He retweeted this message to his followers.

The Wall Street Journal reported the alleged true background of the 38-year-old Italian-American, who told the newspaper that he identifies more as British than American, and that he had been obsessed with the UK as a child.

He said he made his surname using the “names of friends and distant relations” and that he has an agreement with two unrelated elderly British people who let him call them his grandparents.

However, he later responded to the claims in the WSJ, saying: "The Wall Street Journal breached journalistic trust, omitted truths and mis-sold what the initial interview was for," he said.

"Many of the facts in the article are inaccurate and the Wall Street Journal itself was given many opportunities to ensure that the article was published with the most accurate information available. The WSJ chose not to adhere to the facts or their integrity."

The Telegraph has contacted Mr Muscatello for comment.

The WSJ said in a statement: "We stand by our reporting."