As befits a thoroughbred Englishman, Cassius Taylor – newly crowned HELLO!'s most eligible royal of 2026 – is at his most expressive when asked about his dog. It is not until the end of our conversation that I bring up Maggie, his family's Cairn terrier Jack Russell cross, whose portrait sits prominently among the dozens of family photos in Cassius's parents' sitting room. What is she like?
"Oh wow, that’s the hardest question you’ve asked me," Cassius says, looking at the photograph tucked below a window on to the central London skyline. It shares the space with images of the Duke of Kent, Cassius’s grandfather, his mother Lady Helen Taylor and his three siblings, in what is evidently a close-knit family.
© Stew Bryden"She’s got us all through…" he says, pausing to work out how best to describe Maggie, who has been an emotional anchor for the family for 17 years. "She's sort of ineffable. She’s just a very calming presence to have around."
The DJ and freelance events consultant, 29, is perhaps the most overlooked bright young thing of the royal family. Tall, handsome and gregarious, Cassius tops the eligible royal list for good reason. He has invited us to his parents' mews house in south-west London, a location that feels secluded despite its proximity to a bustle of tourists.
Inside, it is a lovingly decorated home with signed Damien Hirst prints from his Last Supper series, a Jonathan Yeo portrait of Sienna Miller, a Lucian Freud study and a clutch of fossilised dinosaur eggs that have been in a display case ever since Cassius's older brother Columbus tried to draw on them as a child.
It is the first photoshoot for the so-called "bad boy of the royal family", a label seemingly invented by someone who has never met him. Cassius comes across as a thoughtful, gentle man who loves people, music and, above all, his dog.
"When she was younger she was a chaotic terrier Jack Russell that sprinted around and tried to get stuck in badger holes. Now she's much more relaxed and knows she’s got this family that love her. She might have to be carried a good bit more than she used to and she'll stare up and look up the stairs and be: 'Come on'.
"But she's an angel; the absolute love of my life. We’re all deeply, deeply obsessed with her. It’s just this selfless love that dogs give you," he says and his voice appears to crack. "If you're kind to them, they'll give you everything."
Cassius is at pains not to talk about his royal heritage. At 50th in the line of succession, the King's second cousin once removed is only loosely acquainted with the monarchy, but there are occasional perks, such as attending the annual festive lunch at Buckingham Palace last year.
He describes his unusual name as "my greatest gift from my parents" because it is "the ultimate icebreaker". It is also born from a pun. Lady Helen and Timothy Taylor, an art dealer with galleries in Mayfair and New York, made an impulse decision to name their second son after Cassius Clay, the birth name of the boxer Muhammad Ali.
I was born on Boxing Day. I was named after Muhammad Ali. I think I was meant to be named Casper if I'd been born 12 hours either side.
© Stew BrydenAlthough he wound up his events company Telltale last year, Cassius is pursuing a similar path as a freelancer, curating events that fuse art and music for clients such as Sony.
When asked what he wants to achieve this year, he says: "Meet great people, throw great parties, stay healthy. I love meeting people – even having everyone here today."
Love of music
Music is the warp and woof of the DJ's life. "My earliest memory of music would be in this room. My mother used to play this George Harrison record called Faster. It was inspired by Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda, and is probably why I'm such an F1 obsessive nowadays."
Lady Helen took him to see Oasis perform at Wembley when he was 12 and he recalls Kasabian, as their support act, playing Fire. "I still remember being in the seats and getting awkward because my mother wouldn't stop dancing."
His father’s prime musical influence on him was during their car journeys back to Wellington College in Berkshire, his boarding school before he studied arts management at Goldsmiths, University of London.
"Driving back to school, there would be this radio show [on Absolute Radio] that Geoff Lloyd did called Unknown Pleasures. He always played this incredibly eclectic mixture of tracks. I think it probably had a big part of why I wanted to play music out myself."
© Stew BrydenOne that stuck was the dance-rock song Rock Lobster by the B-52s. "I remembered listening to that and thinking, 'This is brilliant.' My dad thought it was hilarious."
The family have all been to Glastonbury together and Cassius is especially dedicated, attending the past seven festivals. Asked what his fantasy DJ performance would be, Glastonbury is top. He fulfilled one dream by playing a set at Fabric last September, for Rave to Save, a fundraiser for the men's suicide prevention charity James’ Place. He is also a supporter of Suicide&Co, a specialist support network for people bereaved by suicide. Asked why he wished to support those two charities, he says: "I've had my struggles. I think most people have. And if I can help give back, then I will."
Cassius has also worked with the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, where his mother was a trustee, while his father was treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital for Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.
Flower power
Not far beneath the surface, Cassius is an unequivocal romantic. During quickfire questions-and-answers about whether he celebrates Valentine's Day, he says: "Of course."
Does he prefer to give a card, a gift or have dinner? "Card, gift and dinner," he says. "And definitely some flowers."
He is more torn about a choice between an evening in a pub or a fine dining restaurant. "For a date? I think I'd get in trouble if I didn't say fine dining. Fine dining in a pub is the dream. You get to sit down in a pub with a pint but you also get a beef wellington."
There is a mystical air to the family home and Cassius counts himself as "a fan and a believer" in spirituality, but he stops short of reading his horoscope. "My mother, yeah, she's very spiritual. It's an amazing thing to watch and learn from. Peace and quiet [are] definitely up there for me. I guess everyone has a form of meditation and a cathartic therapy that they might indulge in. For me, it's going to the gym.
"It keeps me level-headed. I need to have that release several times a week – jogging, rowing, a bit of calisthenics – just making sure I leave the gym a little bit sweaty. Ideally feeling a little more grounded."
© Stew BrydenHe walks everywhere and "used to box for fun" but, unlike Cassius Clay, he has never fought bouts and abandoned boxing since he dislocated his shoulder falling down a hill "in a moment of weakness".
His immediate family includes his brother Columbus, 31, who works as the director for their father's gallery, and his sisters Eloise, 22, and Estella, 21. They are a tight group and Cassius wears items of jewellery from each of his parents.
Around his neck is a medallion showing "a very abstract skull" designed by the artist Eddie Martinez, a friend of his father. "I don't think I've been given it but I think I've been lent it by my father. It's one of my favourite, most treasured things."
Personal inking
On his little finger is a gold ring marked with the Greek letter phi that his mother designed for his 21st birthday. "It's the golden ratio. It's meant to ground me." Does he need to be grounded? "Yes, well, maybe when I was 21. I've had it since my 21st and I never take it off. Having these two pieces from each of my parents – it's actually quite a sweet thing."
His other permanent feature is his tattoo of a skeleton, which appeared on his arm as a result of an exhibition he curated for the Frieze art fair showing work by the Armenian artist Armen Eloyan.
I always said I’d get [a tattoo], but there had to be a genuine reason other than 'I think it looks cool'. It has my motto underneath it: 'When it's good, it's great.'
In this moment, Cassius gives a sense of his vulnerability. "At the time, I was going through quite a lot of emotional changes and a good bit of self realisation. [There were] differences in how I felt at times and when I was up, I was up and when I was down, I was down, and I learned a lot from it.
"What came creatively from [those feelings] was that show and the phrase, 'When it's good, it's great'. I can't remember why or where it first started. It sort of made sense as the name for the show. And then it stuck, and now it's on my arm."
Although he prefers not to talk about his extended family, there is a possibility that he might lend his DJ skills for the weddings of his cousins Lady Amelia Windsor and Lady Marina Windsor, both of whom announced their engagements last year. "I only really work on weddings with close friends," he says. "Regarding Amelia or Marina, I suppose we'll see."
As for the long term, he would love to begin a family of his own. "That's the end goal. I'm very lucky to be part of a very tight family. My parents and siblings are amazing. So if I could have that myself, that's the dream."
