Mother pays tribute after murder of socialite at £2m Mayfair home

 
Death: Robert Troyan pictured with his mother Marie
Handout ref NIGEL HOWARD
WEST END FINAL

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The mother of a wealthy American socialite found battered to death in his £2 million Mayfair home today paid tribute to her son and told how his partner’s death devastated him.

Robert Troyan lived alone after Anthony Feldman, a renowned architect, interior designer and composer, died of pancreatic cancer in 2005.

The couple, who had been together since 1983, were the first in London to become civil partners, in a ceremony only a month before Mr Feldman’s death at 52. They counted Sting and his wife Trudie Styler as friends.

The body of Mr Troyan, 63, was found by his cleaner at his rented Mount Street flat on Friday. A post-mortem examination confirmed he died of head injuries and police are investigating.

His mother, Marie, 83, spoke to the Standard from her home in Boston, praising her son as “one in a million” but describing a “terrible change in circumstances” after his partner died.

Mrs Troyan said her son “was a wonderful man. He really appreciated the people others might step over. He was trusting and artistic and always searched for the beauty in things. And he had a fantastic sense of humour.”

Mr Troyan’s relationship with Mr Feldman — whose clients included Princess Michael of Kent and former Tory Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken — was “incredibly special”.

Mrs Troyan added: “Anthony was truly the love of his life... a lovely, lovely person. When Anthony died, Robert was very alone. There was a terrible change in circumstances. When you are in love with someone they can become your world and that was how it was with Robert. He lost his support network.”

Mr Troyan moved into the £800-per-week one-bedroom Mount Street flat last year. He and Mr Feldman were well-known for their “Mayfair dinners” and champagne lifestyle, but Mr Troyan moved out of the home they shared in Hertford Street shortly after Mr Feldman’s death.

Friends described Mr Troyan as a “larger than life” character, who “trusted strangers too much”. Sean McGuigan, who met him in 2006, said: “A lot of people around him were after his money.

“He had some incredibly expensive antiques in his flat including a vase worth £100,000. He was incredibly trusting, too trusting. He would lavish gifts on people and was quite carefree with his money.”

Mr Aitken today voiced his shock. “It is a tragedy. I think life must have got very difficult for him after he lost Anthony. The two were devoted to each other. In their day, they knew everyone.” Police want anyone with information to call them on 020 8721 4054, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. There have been no arrests.

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