Ephraim Hardcastle
THE Queen’s fragile health prompts Buckingham Palace officials to consider scaling down some of the planned activities for her Platinum Jubilee. So far she is only committed to Trooping the Colour, the Derby and the thanksgiving service at St Paul’s. But Whitehall officials have sketched in a plethora of additional events for the four-day celebrations in June. HM is said to be more enthusiastic about attending her first full Royal Ascot since 2019 rather than events in the Mall using Buckingham Palace as a TV backdrop. Currently undergoing a tenyear multi-million pound refurbishment, it resembles a building site.
GIVEN a life peerage so he could join the Cabinet, Lord Frost is now among a burgeoning gang of similar ex-ministers in the Lords, including Nicky Morgan, ennobled by Boris to continue as culture secretary. She soon resigned to enjoy the daily £323 red bench turning-up allowance. As does former BBC chairman Rona Fairhead, who succeeded former Waitrose MD Mark Price at International Trade. Both had to be ennobled to serve as ministers. Frosty is learning the mantra of Baroness Morgan and her superannuated chums: a peerage is not for Christmas but for life.
DOWNING Street historian Sir Anthony Seldon compares Boris to first PM Robert Walpole: ‘They both loved money. They both lived in Downing Street with women 25 years younger than them. Walpole had lots of mistresses. Walpole was an absolute master at broken promises. They’re both familiar with using bribery. Walpole said: “Every man has a price.”’ With his backbenchers in revolt, shouldn’t Boris start checking his MPs’ tariff labels?
UNCOMFORTABLE with professional accolades, Dawn French, pictured, was cajoled by comedy partner Jennifer Saunders into accepting a Bafta fellowship. ‘This is a big one,’ insisted Saunders. ‘Also, when you get the fellowship you get free entry to Bafta and it is in the middle of Piccadilly and they have got a toilet, as we are getting older,’ adds Dawn. ‘So I was like, “Oh yes, count me in”.’
ASKED by The Spectator to nominate his favourite children’s novel, BBC radio presenter Justin Webb wails: ‘I hated being a child. Almost all my memories are gloomy. I was fat. I was lonely. My mother and I lived with a stepfather both of us couldn’t stand.’ To paraphrase the query to Mrs Lincoln after her husband Abraham was shot in a theatre: ‘Apart from that, Justin, how did you enjoy childhood Christmases?’
BAFFLINGLY endearing Call The Midwife luminary Miriam Margolyes is not enamoured of her juvenile co-stars. ‘The only thing I don’t like are the children,’ she says. ‘They’re a bit precocious and rather a nuisance and my character is supposed to like them.’ Oh to be a fly on the studio wall when the little darlings discuss the joys of working with the gloriously flatulent Miriam.