Amanda Staveley, the former Yorkshire restauranteur, ex-model and international athlete, who turned down a proposal to be the second Duchess of York, hit the headlines late last year when she helped broker a deal between Barclays and investors from the Middle East.

Today her name was nowhere near the announcement that Abu Dhabi state-owned International Petroleum Investment Company, whom she advised on its multibillion pound stakebuilding in Barclays in November last year, is selling a stake in the bank. Her company PCP Capital Patners earned a cool £40m (€46.2m) in commission from the original deal, according to the Sunday Times.