Ephraim Hardcastle
TRAVELLING to Prague with the Raf in 1996, the Queen and Prince Philip were handed a copy of the flight path. ‘Philip,’ murmured the Queen, quoted in my colleague Robert Hardman’s book Queen of the World, ‘what’s this place – Praha?’ ‘It’s Prague,’ retorted the duke, deep in a book. ‘Why don’t they call it Prague?’ the Queen went on. ‘It’s like “Paree” and “Paris”,’ snorted the duke. Recalls a fellow traveller, former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind: ‘My wife and I were pretending we couldn’t hear but it was like Monty Python. I think the Queen was having some fun. She is far too bright to be remotely puzzled as to why it’s called “Praha”.’
BODYGUARD stars Keeley Hawes, 42, and Richard Madden, 32, are the latest celebrities to dine at Scott’s of Mayfair, dubbed the eatery for show-offs who want to be seen. Other less-than-shy regulars include David Walliams, Kate Moss, Kate Beckinsale and Charles Saatchi with his squeeze Trinny Woodall. In 2013 Saatchi, 75, grabbed his then wife Nigella Lawson, 58, by the throat on the outside terrace, prompting one subsequent diner to ask for the ‘strangling table’.
Fenella Fielding, who died last week, starred in a favourite Royal Family film, carry On Screaming. an advance copy was sent to buckingham Palace and Fielding’s deep voice caught the ear of Princess anne, 16 at the time. She determined to try it for herself. ‘That may well have attracted andrew Parker bowles into his tryst with anne before he married the equally deep-voiced camilla,’ suggests a source.
WHY was Today presenter Nick Robinson chosen over the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, pictured, to conduct the muchpublicised interview with Theresa May? ‘Nick was considered an easier option – Laura gives the PM a rougher ride,’ according to a broadcasting source. Nick’s talk still made news.
NOW in his seventh year holed up in the ecuadorian embassy, Wikileaks’ Julian assange, 47, is remembered at Melbourne’s notorious S&M club Hellfire. ‘We all knew him as the Mad Professor,’ recalls founder Richard Master. ‘a strange guy with blond hair, he would dance all night. He wasn’t there for the S&M.’ not much dancing now in his Knighst bridge broom cupboard!
FORMER Labour home secretary Roy Jenkins had a camel’s thirst for fine wine before his death aged 82 in 2003, according to journalist Steve Richards, who recalls: ‘He often enjoyed good wine from fairly early in the day. I once went to see him at 11am in the House of Lords and I thought he would offer me a cup of coffee. He offered me a huge glass of very good red wine.’
WHILE women are still banned from membership of london’s Garrick club, novelist Joseph connolly writes salaciously in the club magazine about a member who follows his leather-clad wife’s instructions to tie her to their bed with silken ropes. ‘“now,” she said purringly, “you can do anything. anything you want – whatever in the world you most desire…!” So he went to the Garrick.’