THE founder of a designer footwear brand worn by the Duchess of Sussex is facing jail after falsely claiming £500,000 in personal expenses.

Roy Luwolt, the co-founder and director of Malone Souliers, spent the money on clothes, jewellery, partying, foreign holidays and cigars.

Celebrities including Meghan Markle, Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce have been seen wearing the luxury shoes.

Roy, from Marylebone in London, was sacked in November 2018 after the fraud was discovered.

The 38-year-old appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud between March 24, 2015, and November 15, 2018.

The charge states that he abused his position as managing director of World Wide Shoes LLP, which trades as Malone Souliers, “by claiming personal expenses for which you were not entitled”.

Prosecutor Adam Davis QC said the offence “involves not less than £500,000 being obtained”.

Four further counts of fraud, which Luwolt denies, were left to lie on file, and he was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at the same court on August 20.

Judge Philip Bartle QC said: “This is a very serious case. On the face of it he is facing a lengthy prison sentence.”

In a 2018 interview with Thailand Tatler, Roy was said to be the sole artistic director of Malone Souliers, which was set up in 2014, the founder of women’s shirt brand Absence Of Paper and chief executive of fashion brand Emanuel Ungaro.