Ephraim Hardcastle
THe greater media presence triggered by the King’s decision to attend church on easter morning gives Prince Andrew an opportunity to strut his stuff on the walk to Windsor’s St George’s Chapel. It’s just a month since he elbowed his way to a front-row seat for King Constantine’s memorial service. The demoted royal is expected to join the King and others to receive communion at a private service in the castle before the walk to the chapel where the winking cameras await.
QUEEN Camilla dispenses Maundy Money at Worcester Cathedral today, the first time the monarch has delegated a consort to do the duty. In 2022, at what would have been the late Queen’s last Maundy she got Charles to distribute the alms. She hadn’t missed a Maundy since 1970 but on the other four occasions she was absent – on Commonwealth tours or pregnant – she delegated the Queen Mother or Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, to do the task. On her first absence, in 1954 when she was in Australia, she sent the Lord High Almoner, a bishop, in her stead. The lack of royal stardust didn’t go down well and she never repeated the exercise. DIANA Rigg’s daughter Rachael Stirling, 46, discovering a voucher in a movie goody bag for a free facial was surprised to receive a quote for £50,000 for a plastic surgeon to de-age her. ‘I hadn’t noticed everybody had been quietly shoving things in their face,’ wails Rachael, pictured. ‘They’re all ageing backwards like Benjamin Button.’ So will she get work done? ‘No, f*** that,’ she says sweetly.
UNDERWHELMING response to last night’s BBC live presentation of Lauren Laverne’s Desert Island Discs at The London Palladium. Guests Mel C and Russell T Davies found themselves addressing rows of empty seats and a virtually empty Grand Circle. Back to the wireless Laverne! eX-OASIS warbler Noel Gallagher took offence when he went unrecognised in a guitar shop after asking to handle a Les Paul signed by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. ‘Noel spat on his T-shirt and rubbed off the signature,’ recalls The Coral’s Bill Ryder- Jones who was with him when he bought it. ‘He purposefully rubbed off Peter’s signature to make a point to the guy – he thought he was being a bit rude.’ Gallagher later gave the guitar to Ryder- Jones who wails: ‘I would have loved for it to have Peter Green’s signature. I probably would have sold it by now, and had a house.’
CAROLE Middleton’s brother Gary, who describes himself as Kate’s ‘buncle’ (bad uncle), dubs Meghan as Laughing Girl. What would recovering Kate make of his observation about ex- soldier Harry’s Spare claim that he fought with William, broke his bracelet and fell into a ceramic dog bowl? ‘Putin will be laughing,’ spouts Buncle.
A MAJOR crackdown on gagging orders will stop abusers from being able to silence victims. in a major victory for injured parties, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) will no longer be enforceable if they prevent employees from reporting a crime.
the move comes after highprofile cases such as disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein revealed how confidentiality agreements were being used by sexual predators and bullies to escape prosecution.
And yesterday it emerged that a number of staff at the CBi who reported sexual misconduct and bullying have been made to sign NDAs.
Zelda Perkins, Weinstein’s former PA who broke an NDA to help expose the film producer as a rapist, said: ‘i am so pleased to see that the Government is acknowledging and proving its understanding of, not only the chilling effect NDAs have on reporting potential crimes, but the huge harms that their implementation causes victims.’
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: ‘We are bringing an end to the murky world of non-disclosure agreements which are too often used to sweep criminality under the carpet and prevent victims from accessing the advice and support they need.’
the legislation is due to be introduced in Parliament within months.