Monica Lewinsky disinvited from Philanthropy Summit because Bill Clinton was going

Monica Lewinsky has described how she was unceremoniously disinvited from a high profile event after the organisers realised Bill Clinton was going to be there.

Miss Lewinsky, 44, had accepted an invitation to the fifth annual Philanthropy Summit hosted by Town & Country, the lifestyle magazine, at Hearst Tower in New York.

However, her invitation was rescinded by the magazine, which offered her the opportunity to write an article instead.

Miss Lewinsky, who is now an anti-bullying activist, wrote on Twitter: "Dear world: please don't invite me to an event (esp one about social change) and - then after I've accepted - uninvite me because Bill Clinton then decided to attend/was invited.

"It's 2018. Emily post would def not approve," a reference to the etiquette expert Emily Post.

She added: "P.S. ...and definitely, please don't try to ameliorate the situation by insulting me with an offer of an article in your mag."

Miss Lewinsky's affair with Mr Clinton, when she was a 22-year-old White House intern and he was the US president, became public in 1998, rocking his administration, and leading in part to his impeachment.  

The summit, which took place on Wednesday, featured "activists, game-changers, and leaders across the field of philanthropy, education, healthcare, and gun control".

For a panel discussion Mr Clinton introduced survivors of the Parkland high school shooting in Florida, in which 17 people died.

A spokeswoman for Mr Clinton said the former president had not been aware that Miss Lewinsky was scheduled to attend and then disinvited.

She said: "President Clinton was invited to address the Town & Country Philanthropy Summit. He gladly accepted.

"Neither he nor his staff knew anything about the invitation (to Miss Lewinsky) or it being rescinded."

In a statement the magazine said: "We apologise to Ms Lewinsky and regret the way the situation was handled.