Ephraim Hardcastle
ROYAL bride-to-be Meghan Markle, baptised with water from the River Jordan in March after her engagement to Prince Harry was announced, is likely to become a godmother to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new son, I hear. Might that have been the reason for her baptism? ‘You don’t have to be Anglican to marry a royal but you do have to be baptised to be a godparent,’ says my source. The Cambridges’ first child, Prince George, has seven godparents but only one of them royal, Zara Tindall. The second, Princess Charlotte, has five, none of whom is royal.
THE latest ‘cool’ season of the BBC Proms – once the greatest music festival in the world, now not so great – is announced, pretending to embrace gender equality. They have increased commissions from female composers, adding feminist ‘rap’ to the mix and honouring the suffragettes. However, only four women conductors perform during the 75-concert season. For the blockbuster Last Night the baton goes to the 74-year-old Sir Andrew Davis. He’s done it 11 times before, the last in 2000. Only one woman, Marin Alsop, has had the honour.
ROCK legend Grace Slick, 78, of Jefferson Airplane fame, pictured in her prime, says in an interview: ‘I do like the new Fab Four – William, Kate, Harry and Meghan Markle.’ As for rock royalty (like herself), she adds: ‘The Rolling Stones are the only (1960s) group that look OK on stage now.’
THE Duchess of Cornwall has not mastered the art of looking interested in public when she’s bored. When the Queen gave her public backing for Charles to head the Commonwealth – meaning the deal had been done – Camilla looked shocked. She was doomed to years of long-haul travel to hot climes (which she hates) at Charles’s side. As well as a 12,000-mile round trip to Rwanda in 2020, Camilla faces a 20,000mile trip to Samoa for the 2022 Commonwealth shindig – a visit expected to include Australia and New Zealand. Might she bail out after two nights, as she did from Australia earlier this month?
COMIC Jim Davidson, 64, who was declared bankrupt six years ago and who claimed two years ago he was broke, has taken delivery of a six-berth, 61ft Princess 61 power boat. My maritime source says: ‘It would cost over £1million new and over £500,000 pre-owned. And that’s before you go through £500 worth of fuel for each of its two engines.’ Isn’t it delightful to hear that popular Davidson might now have his finances on an even keel!
PAUL O’Grady’s Radio 2 show has a slot called The Triple in which he plays three records by the same artist. He does two Triples each show, each by a different artist. But not on Sunday when O’Grady, 62, twice played three records by the same artist – Sir Cliff Richard. The ‘Bachelor Boy’ is suing the BBC over its coverage of a police raid on his Berkshire home. Are corporation types hinting that they wish to be friends again, whatever the outcome of the case?