Ephraim Hardcastle
THE Shakespeare anniversary shindig, starring Queen Camilla posing with 11 actresses, is likely to have been the King’s idea. He loves all things Shakespeare despite making a disastrous appearance in Macbeth at Gordonstoun aged 17. ‘Funniest thing I’ve ever seen,’ said his father. Charles’s other stage enthusiasm was for radio comedy The Goon Show. He enjoyed performing some of their Dadaesque skits. During a Clarence House lunch, his overlong rendition of their Ying Tong song provoked the Queen Mother to throw a mango at him. He’s probably glad he was spared the great luvvie photocall.
GAZING adoringly at Camilla was actress and ex-Marxist Vanessa Redgrave. She rejected a damehood in 1999 – citing her loathing of Tony Blair – but later changed her mind. Asked by Radio 4’s Mishal Husain in 2018 if she’d had a change of heart she snapped: ‘I’m not going to talk about that, it’s not appropriate.’ The old trout, 87, finally became Dame Vanessa in 2022.
RE the demand from some that the King should remove Harry’s dukedom, might the Montecito rebel outflank his critics by renouncing his peerage? This wouldn’t affect he and Meghan’s status in the US, or anywhere else. Indeed it may improve it by suggesting he was giving up his dukedom to reduce pressure on his family. His son Archie could claim the dukedom after his death, just as Labour minister Tony Benn’s renounced viscountcy was resurrected by his eldest son.
TONY Blair’s ex-henchman Alastair Campbell is trying to get Vogue’s Queen Bee, Dame Anna Wintour (both pictured), to join himself and ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart on their podcast The Rest Is Politics. ‘We would love to hear her on the subject of leading,’ he says. Evidently the old Labour bruiser thinks the chilly Wintour can sprinkle some stardust on their political talkathlon.
WHILE Radio 2 faces a backlash for its shoddy treatment of longtime DJ Steve Wright after his sudden death aged 69 this week, the station has form in this regard. Among the most unfortunate and bizarre episodes was the fate of pop DJ Brian Matthew, on the BBC airwaves for 63 years, who found himself unceremoniously forced out as Sound Of The 60s host seven years ago. To make matters worse, the BBC announced his ‘death’ in April 2017, prompting a wave of tributes, including from then-DJ Tony Hall. Matthew wasn’t actually dead at the time.
FRANK Skinner has a new Radio 4 panel show starting on Monday called One Person Found This Helpful, looking at ridiculous or amusing reviews. Example: ‘The Pyramids were nice, but just in the wrong country.’ Skinner muses: ‘What they need to do is phone Lord Elgin (who imported the Greek Marbles) I think he’s got a removal company that will sort that out.’