The Royal Composer to The Queen Moves to Evict His Partner

The Queen’s composer has gone to court in a bid to evict his long-term partner from the remote island home they shared in a dispute involving allegations of domestic abuse.

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, 77, wants his lover of a decade, Colin Parkinson, to leave the renovated stone barn and croft house on Sanday in Orkney.

Lawyers for the Master of the Queen’s Music last week argued at Kirkwall Sheriff Court that Mr Parkinson, a 57-year-old builder, should vacate the property.

Discord: Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies, left, and partner Colin Parkinson are in dispute after a ten-year relationship
The case will continue later  this month, with the sheriff who presided over the case accepting it concerned ‘domestic abuse’.

Sir Peter, who turns 78 next Saturday, is believed to be staying in Italy while the case is being thrashed out. 

Locals in Orkney are understood to have been concerned about the couple’s relationship for several months. 

The first public indication of trouble came in June when Sir Peter failed to attend the islands’ St Magnus Festival, which he founded in 1977. 

Battleground: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, 77, and Colin Parkinson lived in a stone barn and croft house in Sanday, a village on idyllic Orkney, pictured

It was the first time he had not been a guest of honour in its 35-year history.

Speaking last night, one Orkney resident said: ‘We knew something was wrong then. Max never misses the St Magnus Festival.

‘We heard that he and Colin have parted and it was pretty acrimonious. We do not know what has happened but it is very sad. 

There are all kinds of claims and counter-claims.

All we know is that Max is in Italy and that he wants his house back and the lawyers are involved. He hasn’t been back in months.’

Five years ago, Sir Peter planned to ‘marry’ Mr Parkinson in a civil ceremony, but they had to abandon their plans when Orkney Islands Council refused permission to  use their chosen venue, sparking accusations of discrimination. 

Speaking at the time, Sir Peter said: ‘Everything has now gone so sour; it’s spoilt everything for us.’

In a further setback, in 2009, Sir Peter revealed he was in so much  debt he was in danger of losing the Orkney house. 

He should have been earning hundreds of thousands of pounds, but was given an annual allowance of just £25,000 by manager Michael Arnold, who was later jailed for false accounting involving more than £500,000 of Sir Peter’s money.

Sir Peter, whose music was played at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, espoused republican views despite his Royal title – but admitted the Queen had ‘won him over’ to the idea of a monarchy.

A spokesman for Kirkwall Sheriff Court confirmed a previous interdict –  a court order limiting Mr Parkinson’s actions towards Sir Peter – had been extended. 

He added: ‘We can confirm a civil action was raised. The  Sheriff determined an earlier interim interdict granted against Mr Parkinson related to domestic abuse. The case was continued.’

Lawyers for both men were  unable or unwilling to comment, and a spokesman for Sir Peter said: ‘We have absolutely nothing to say.’

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