Ephraim Hardcastle
FORMER Washington envoy Sir Kim Darroch, who resigned after leaked briefings infuriated Donald Trump, is going back to school. He and wife Vanessa are taking a touch typing course. Did Kim tip-tap the messages which ended his diplomatic career? ‘I never typed them myself,’ he chuckles.
THE Queen’s denial of approval for Netflix’s The Crown, via communications supremo Donal McCabe, delights the show’s makers, who are cock-a-hoop with publicity for the next series. But McCabe’s rebuttal misses the point. Creator Peter Morgan referred to regular meetings with courtiers to advise on storylines so they could ‘brace themselves slightly’. Says my production source: ‘Peter never said the Royal Household agreed to vet content. Donal is denying something Peter never claimed.’
AN Wilson, in his biography of Prince Albert, thanks the Queen for ‘graciously’ giving her consent. Not so Prince Philip. He suggested, with forcefulness, that the world didn’t need another life of Albert, says Wilson. Only halfway through the book at the time, he somehow managed to scribble on.
CLAIMS that Prince Andrew tried to involve Charles in his ding-dong with Master of the Household Tony Johnstone-Burt carries echoes of the sudden departure of the Queen’s private secretary Lord Geidt in 2017. Apparently the brothers persuaded HM that he should go. She reluctantly acquiesced but lauded him with a peerage, the GCB, GCVO and QSO before making him Permanent Lord in Waiting. Fortunately for Johnstone-Burt it seems Charles isn’t taking sides.
TORY Party chairman James Cleverly confesses to respect for Meghan Markle, pictured, advising: ‘If I was doing her PR I’d say, “You’re a member of the Royal Family now – don’t try to do the whole ‘look at me being normal’ because normal no longer applies”.’ Is it the same for MPs? He adds: ‘No normal people become MPs, genuinely we are all weird’.
THE BBC’s North America editor Jon Sopel offers consolation to our beleaguered PM, saying: ‘Boris has not yet tried to buy Greenland. He has not yet politicised the weather map, he hasn’t got out a pen and tried to draw Alabama on a map and then when people say that’s not true he hasn’t tried to get the senior meteorologist fired.’
CHANNEL 4’s Secrets Of The Royal Palaces quotes a workman, hidden from view dismantling a desk at Buckingham Palace, replying to whether he would like a cup of tea. He responds: ‘Yeah, in a mug, two sugars, builder’s tea. I don’t want any of that nonsense I had the last time I was here, all that fine china and all that saucer stuff.’ The lady returns, saying: ‘I’ve put your tea on the table here.’ He emerges to see the Queen retreating towards the door.