Photoshoot looks like a real hoot, Alice! Princess Beatrice's friend dodges rogue owl

Never work with children or animals, the old showbiz adage goes – advice that was clearly lost on Princess Beatrice's friend Alice Naylor-Leyland.

Her business, Mrs Alice, which creates themed dining sets, staged a video shoot involving various creatures to promote its autumn collection at Deene Park in Northamptonshire.

But one owl forgot its table manners and gave her a fright as it took flight while perched on her hand. 

In the clip, which she posted online, Alice – wearing a £3,706 Gemy Maalouf strapless embroidered dress with a cage skirt – was captured screaming: 'Quite clearly, I can't talk about a plate!' 

The mishap was a far cry from her recent glittering 40th birthday party, where proceedings also featured animals but were more orderly.

There were ball gowns, ponies and even a rehearsed dance routine at Alice's celebration in July at Italy's Villa Cetinale.

Friends and family, including Lady Mary Charteris and model Poppy Delevingne, gathered at the stunning Tuscan abode, previously dubbed the 'most beautiful villa in Tuscany' by Architectural Digest, to usher in a new decade for the British-born socialite.

Princess Beatrice, despite being a close friend and business associate of Alice, was seemingly nowhere to be seen in the photos and clips shared by guests online.

One owl forgot its table manners and gave Alice Naylor-Leyland a fright as it took flight while perched on her hand

The socialite screamed as the owl took off into the air without warning

The mishap was a far cry from her recent glittering 40th birthday party, where proceedings were more orderly. Source: Marycharteris/Instagram

'We went full mambo Italiano celebrating @mrsalice on her birthday', socialite and DJ Mary wrote on her Instagram alongside a carousel of images from the festivities.

Lady Mary, dressed in a sheer, gold dress from celebrity-favourite Annie's Ibiza, posed for pictures next to her husband, Robbie Furze, and stepdaughter of the Marquess of Bute, Jazzy DeLisser, against the stunning Tuscan backdrops.

Alice meanwhile ensured she looked every inch the birthday girl in a stunning gold sequinned dress.

Last year, the fashionista was once again in the spotlight after being dubbed the 'Martha Stewart of the Instagram age' following her homeware brand's success in the US.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the designer, then-39, reflected on the booming success of Mrs Alice, which she launched in 2019.

The socialite enjoyed remarkable success in her first year of business, generating £2million in sales. Her success was further cemented by the brand's expansion into America, which, as of last year, accounted for 65 per cent of sales.

Customers aren't just opting for single-item purchases either: Alice told the publication that average orders consist of nine products.

'People want the whole look,' she told the publication, before adding that the statistic is something she's most proud of.

Alice launched her brand alongside her mother, Serena Fresson, first releasing a kit she dubbed 'tablescape in a box', which included placemats, linens, table decorations and Christmas crackers.

Since then, she's collaborated with a number of high-profile designers, including Marie Chantal of Greece, Poppy Delevingne, and Erin O'Connor.

Lady Mary Charteris posted a picture of Alice posing in her ballgown while in bed during her birthday celebrations. Source: Marycharteris/Instagram

Perhaps unsurprisingly, interior designer Alice ensured her tables looked spectacular for her birthday weekend. Source: Marycharteris/Instagram

Alice and Princess Beatrice, pictured in 2018, move within the same social circles

Known for her glamorous, royal-like style, Alice has long contributed to Vogue and Harper's Bazaar alongside her work as an interior designer.

And last year, Alice partnered with her friend Princess Beatrice to create a tablescape collection in aid of Borne, a medical research charity with the mission to end premature birth.

Alice shares four children with her husband, Tom Naylor-Leyland, heir to a baronetcy and the £176million Fitzwilliam landowning fortune.

She first met Tom when she was just 16, at a party hosted by Lady Mary. The pair started dating five years later when she was 21, and tied the knot in 2011.

Tom is the eldest son of Baronet Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland and is heir to the family's fortune and vast estates, including the 17th-century Nantclwyd Hall in Denbighshire, Wales.