Ephraim Hardcastle
AS A divorcee, Meghan Markle shouldn’t wear white at her wedding. Wallis Simpson, the last American divorcee who married into the Windsors, wore a pale duck-egg dress that matched her eyes. Divorcee Camilla opted for cream at the register office and pale blue and gold for the St George’s blessing. However, when divorcee Princess Anne married Tim Laurence in Scotland, she wore white. Who would have dared oppose her?
APROPOS colours. The Duchess of Cambridge’s appearance with Prince William at Sunday’s Baftas poses a problem: What will Kate wear? Turning up in black would link her to the #MeToo campaign against male misbehaviour. Perhaps she could arrive in the ideal compromise dress she wore for the event last year – a black floral number that would keep everyone happy.
DISGRACED South African president Jacob Zuma’s stubborn hold on power might embarrass the Queen if he turns up in London at the Commonwealth Observance meeting in March or the Heads of Government pow-wow in April, both occasions when he would rub shoulders with the monarch. During 2010’s state visit he put the Queen on the spot introducing one of his three wives. The Court Circular referred to her simply as Mrs Zuma.
INTERVIEWED by the BBC’s Alan Yentob, Blazing Saddles director Mel Brooks, 91, pictured, points out that Orson Welles, Arthur Miller and Stanley Kubrick died soon after submitting to Yentob’s interrogation, adding: ‘You just aren’t good luck, I don’t want to take a chance on dying! It occurred to me when you came in: “This guy is the kiss of death! Every time this guy gets close to someone, and he does something with them, they die!” OK, I’m sorry, bye-bye!’
HENRY Bolton complains to LBC’s Nick Ferrari that he’s only received two ‘tranches’ of payment since taking over as Ukip leader. Ferrari: ‘£5,600 since September? That’s not going to buy many candlelit meals, is it?’ Bolton: ‘No, it doesn’t… I didn’t do it for the money.’
CAMBRIDGE don Mary Beard, 63, one of the presenters of the BBC’s remake of Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation, complains that prison reformer Elizabeth Fry was one of the few women featured by Clark in the original series. ‘She somehow gets a look in,’ says Professor Beard, pointing out that one of Fry’s descendants – photographer Janet Stone – was Clark’s mistress. Was that how Fry made it into Civilisation? ‘I don’t know,’ adds Mary, sweetly.
THE late boozy star Oliver Reed, born 80 years ago today, would have been a marked man in the post-Harvey Weinstein Hollywood. The actor, who died in 1999 aged 61, explained his philosophy: ‘I believe that my woman shouldn’t work outside the home. When I come home and I’m tired from filming all day I expect her to be there… you know, like drawing my bath and helping me into it. In return for it, she can bear my children and if any man talks bad to her, I’ll hit him.’ Surely Ollie’s Neanderthal take on #MeToo!
Email: john.mcentee@dailymail.co.uk