Duke of York gets to grips with young blonde on a Cote d'Azur dancefloor

12 April 2012

Not for the first time in his life, Prince Andrew's eyes alight upon an attractive blonde in a skimpy dress.

Remarking that he loves the way she carries herself and declaring her "classy", he makes his move.

He cavorts with her on the dancefloor, massages her neck and, in the words of a friend, follows her around wherever she goes – "even to the bathroom".

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Smitten: The Duke flirts with singer Chris Von Aspen at the poolside party

The occasion was a lavish poolside party thrown by a Libyan businessman in the millionaire playground of St Tropez on the French Riviera – which had all the ingredients for a spot of relaxation, Duke of York-style.

By all accounts, a good time was had by all – but Andrew should perhaps have asked if his dancing partner, 27-year-old Chris Von Aspen, was spoken for.

If he had, he may have discovered that she is dating Bruno Philipponnat, a burly former officer of the fearsome French Foreign Legion.

Miss Von Aspen was introduced to 47-year-old Andrew by a mutual acquaintance, Haitian-born artist Jeffery Dread. Scroll down for more

Chris brings a smile to the Duke of York's face

He said: "Andrew came over to me and asked, 'What's her name? She is beautiful. I love the way she carries herself. She is very classy.'

Mr Dread, who is based in New York, added: "I've known Chris for years and I was the one who took her to the party.

"The dancefloor was by the swimming pool and there were many beautiful girls flocking to Andrew – but he was completely focused on Chris.

"I'd met him quite a few times in New York and he came over, struck up a conversation and asked me to introduce him to her.

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Chris' friend, artist Jeffery Dread, plays up for the camera as he stands between them

He was so smitten by her, it was incredible. He said, 'Oh my God, your friend is beautiful. Can you introduce me?'

"She is going out with Bruno, who is the right-hand man to Prince Albert of Monaco, but I felt it was not my business to say she was dating someone else.

"She danced with Andrew for most of the evening until the party ended at about 3am.

"He followed her everywhere she went, even to the bathroom, and at one point he gave her a head massage.

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Soul Mates: Chris poses with singer Lionel Richie at his 50th birthday party

"Andrew was very tenacious but she didn't go home with him after the party. She left with a group of friends, including me, and I hope she won't break up with Bruno."

Chris has become a firm fixture among the Cote d'Azur jet-set and is a regular at the Cannes Film Festival – but her background is decidedly humble.

She was born Christine Vonaspern and grew up in a small, unremarkable town in America's Deep South.

After deleting the "r" from her surname and separating it into two words, Christine moved from Hammond, Louisiana, to Hollywood, in an attempt to establish herself as a singer, and then to the French Riviera.

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The royal touch: Andrew rubs Chris's neck.

There she mesmerised a dashing former Olympic sportsman, Lieutenant-Colonel Bruno Philipponnat, who is Prince Albert's chief aide-de-camp, and she has been dating him for several months.

Mr Dread confides that while Andrew is "smitten" by her, Christine appears less certain about the Prince.

To the residents of Hammond who remember Christine, it seems extraordinary that two such dashing suitors are vying for her attention.

"She was just an ordinary girl from a very ordinary family," said a woman who attended the town's Catholic high school with her.

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Prince Andrew gets hot under the collar as he arrives at the Wong's Chinese New Year party escorted by a mysterious masked girl

Her father, Clarence, told The Mail on Sunday that since she was a teenager, Christine had ambitions to become a singer or actress.

"Chris has grown. She's got quite a circle of friends," said Mr Vonaspern.

He works as a property salesman in the Louisiana oil-refining town of Baton Rouge, where he lives in an inexpensive apartment following his divorce from Christine's mother.

"But she can sing and she can act. She did some plays at high school and she studied music technology at Belmont, a small Christian college in Nashville," he added.

"She put a little change in her name for whatever reason. It's OK with me. I wish we saw her more often but we're proud of her."

However, despite having a voice that some friends compare to Joss Stone's, Chris was unable to make a full-time living in showbusiness.

Her first taste of the high life appears to have come when she began to date a producer 13 years her senior, Brad Holmes.

He could not be reached for comment, but a friend said they moved into a marina-side apartment together.

"They both had incredible taste," said the friend. "Christine worked as an interior decorator, although Holmes paid the lion's share of their bills," the friend added.

"She dressed nice. She'd wear short skirts, short dresses, high heels – always tanned and made-up.

"When she was at the gym, she'd wear a nice outfit. She'd have on Spandex trousers most of the time. She worked out hard.

"[They would be out] till the wee hours, partying, clubbing. They would hit every fashion show. They would go to the Cannes Film Festival every year. They would go to St Barts in the Caribbean, St Tropez, Nice, Italy . . .

"If social climbing was a sport, she'd be an Olympic gold medalist."

But a bachelor who lived in their building, wine distributor John Brooks, defended her.

"Chris is a great girl who can do well in any circle," he said.

"She deserves the world. Sometimes she'd make me a home-cooked meal. When you're a single guy, living alone, there's something to be said for that kind of kindness."

About a year ago, Chris moved to the South of France where her father says she became "very good friends" with Albert's debonair chief of staff.

She is the latest in a series of ambitious young American women Andrew has courted, despite the Queen's reported disapproval.

Six years ago, he was linked to a Florida blonde who turned out to make her living from selling a Viagra-style impotence drug.

The same year, he invited a bit-part actress whom he met in Los Angeles to tuck him into bed in his hotel room.

Friends of Christine warn, however, that in the fun-loving girl from the Louisiana backwoods he may have met his match.

"She's really a very down-to-earth person and didn't get where she is without having her head screwed on right,' one long-time acquaintance said last night.

"She already has a boyfriend who is one of the most eligible men in Europe.

"She is being very cool about Andrew, and with his track record I think it is going to be hard for him to persuade her that this is true love."

A spokesman for the Duke of York declined to comment.

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