Ephraim Hardcastle
BARBARA Amiel unearths yet another of the late Princess Diana’s male conquests in her memoir, recalling how she positioned Diana at a New York dinner, between divorcees Marco Tronchetti Provera, head of Pirelli, and French architect Thierry Despont. The Princess asked: ‘Which is my hot date?’ ‘I gave her the details,’ says Amiel, ‘and assumed she’d go for the Italian, but no, the following week, Thierry was dining with her at Kensington Palace.’ Was Thierry smuggled in via butler Burrell’s car boot? Bab doesn’t say.
CHANNEL 5 kick-starts a bid by Prince Andrew’s daughters for promotion to the inner sanctum of the Royal Family with a documentary tomorrow, entitled Beatrice and Eugenie: Pampered Princesses? Highlighting the suitability of the girls for elevation to Counsellors of State to replace their father and Harry, the film concludes: ‘They see themselves as having a duty to the Queen to be good princesses and to support the country and the Queen.’ With the prescribed five Counsellors down to just Charles and William, does the shortage merit upgrading Andrew’s offspring? Discuss.
HERBERT Kretzmer’s brilliant reworking of Victor Hugo’s Les Mis deservedly earned him millions in royalties after he replaced original lyricist, poet James Fenton whose words were deemed unsingable. Fenton was lavishly compensated with a minuscule percentage of the take. As it became a world-wide hit, the biggest earner in West End history, surely James can afford to scribble an ode to his benefactor, producer Cameron Mackintosh?
DOES Emmanuel Macron’s French curfew send shivers of apprehension down the spine of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy? He suffered during lockdown surrounded by relatives of his wife Carla Bruni, pictured, including her mother, 90, and aunt, 95. ‘Everyone’s Italian,’ says Carla. ‘So my husband, he was reading the paper from time to time ... to get away from us and all this talk.’ What’s Italian for multum in parvo(a great deal in a small space)?
NO celestial congratulations for Terry Wogan from Victoria Wood after he was voted best radio broadcaster of all time. Appearing on his 1982 chat show, Wood resented being frozen out, saying: ‘He never pays much attention to what’s being said. And he’s patronising to women.’ Victoria, arriving at the Pearly Gate, would have been content with St Peter’s greeting, whereas Terry would have asked for St Paul and inquired: ‘Did the Corinthians ever write back?’
LAURENCE Olivier’s alarming lack of political correctness is disclosed by Gyles Brandreth in his just-published Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes, where he describes Larry’s legendary RSC performance as Othello: ‘Under his breath he’d assume the voice of a West Indian bus conductor and hiss at the cast: ‘Any more fares, please. No standing on the top deck.’