Court Circular
BUCKINGHAM PALACE February 21st
The King held a Council at 4.30p.m.
There were present: the Rt Hon Penelope Mordaunt MP (Lord President), the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP (Secretary of State for the Home Department), the Rt Hon Alister Jack MP (Secretary of State for Scotland) and the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP (Secretary of State for Education).
Mr Michael Tomlinson MP was sworn in as a member of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.
Mr Richard Tilbrook was in attendance as Clerk of the Council.
The Rt Hon Sir Clive Alderton (Principal Private Secretary to Their Majesties) was in attendance.
The Rt Hon Penelope Mordaunt MP had an audience of His Majesty before the Council.
Later, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP (Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury) had an audience of The King.
The Queen, Colonel, Grenadier Guards, this afternoon, as Patron, held a Reception for the Colonel’s Fund at Clarence House.
The Prince of Wales, on behalf of The King, held an Investiture
Thursday, February 22 Commons: Oral questions: Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Church Commissioners and House of Commons Commission and Public Accounts Commission and Restoration and Renewal Client Board and Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission. Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House. General debates: Civil Nuclear Roadmap; Premature Deaths from Heart and Circulatory Diseases. Adjournment: Mole Valley District Council draft Local Plan. Westminster Hall: Debates: Fiscal support for tourism and hospitality in coastal areas; Compensation for women affected by state pension age changes.
Lords: Oral questions: Ensuring that schools support genderquestioning children; Restoring peatlands; Response to the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission’s “Dementia Commission: 2023 Report”. Debate: The case for aligning poverty reduction policy-making across government. Short debate: Reforming remuneration of the directors of water and sewage companies operating in England. Debate: Role of schools in caring for the mental health and well-being of pupils.
Appointments
Revv Duncan Gray, nsm, Hackney Wick St Mary of Eton with St Augustine (London), to be assoc p, Chesterton (Ely); Andrew Hurst, ac-in-t, Newnham St Mark and Grantchester (Ely), to be assoc p (SSM), Grantchester (same dio); Iain Osborne, r, the Ramseys and Upwood (Ely), to be dep dir of planning (same dio); Jonathan Torrance, ac-in-t, Chesterton The Good Shepherd (Ely), to be assoc p (SSM), Chesterton, and ac (dn’s clerk), Jesus College, Cambridge (same dio); David Lee, ac-in-t, Fowlmere, Foxton, Shepreth and Thriplow (Ely), to be assoc p (SSM), Fowlmere, Foxton, Shepreth and Thriplow (same dio).
The East Wales Congress has taken place at the Gwent Bridge Academy in Newport, writes Julian Pottage, Bridge Correspondent. The winners were as follows:
Swiss Pairs
1st Cathy Smith and Andrew Smith, 108 VPS.
2nd Tim Barsby and Steve Webb, 98 VPS.
3rd Ian Walsh and Stefan Lindfors, 94 VPS.
Swiss Teams
1st Richard Plackett, Mia Deschepper, Tony Ratcliff and Julian Pottage, 85 VPS.
2nd Gwynn Davis, Sue Ingham, Mike Best and Dave Smith, 83 VPS. 3rd Richard Lingham, Vivienne Mably, Ann Slee and Graham Hoare, 76 VPS. at Windsor Castle this morning.
By command of His Majesty, Mr Alistair Harrison (Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps) called upon His Excellency Mr Marin Raykov at 186-188 Queen’s Gate, London SW7, this afternoon in order to bid farewell to His Excellency upon relinquishing his appointment as Ambassador from the Republic of Bulgaria to the Court of St James’s.
ST JAMES’S PALACE
February 21st
The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, this morning visited King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5, and was received by Mr Anthony Griffiths (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London).
His Royal Highness this afternoon visited Clapham Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common North Side, London SW4, and was received by Mr Christopher Wellbelove (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London).
The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron, London Youth, afterwards visited 43 Old Jamaica Road, Bermondsey, London SE16, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-lieutenant of Greater London (Sir Kenneth Olisa).
The Duchess of Edinburgh this morning attended the Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network Discussion at Australia House, 71 Aldwych, London WC2.
Her Royal Highness, Patron, Transform Housing and Support, this afternoon received Mr Mark Austen upon relinquishing his appointment as Chairman and Mr
Oliver Smedley upon assuming the appointment.
ST JAMES’S PALACE
February 21st
The Princess Royal this morning visited Agemaspark Precision Engineering Company, Unit 2, Croft Court, Sandall Carr Road, Kirk Sandall Industrial Estate, Doncaster, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-lieutenant of South Yorkshire (Professor Dame Hilary Chapman).
Her Royal Highness later visited Haith Group Vegetable Processing Machinery Company, Cow House Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster.
The Princess Royal, Patron, the Butler Trust, this afternoon visited HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Doncaster, Marsh Gate, Doncaster.
Her Royal Highness, Past Master, the Worshipful Company of Carmen, this evening attended a Joint Services Awards Dinner at Painters’ Hall, 9 Little Trinity Lane, London EC4.
KENSINGTON PALACE February 21st
The Duke of Gloucester, Patron, the Grange Centre for People with Disabilities, this morning received Ms Alison Keeley (Chief Executive Officer).
ST JAMES’S PALACE
February 21st
The Duke of Kent, Patron, Opera North, this morning received Sir Richard Mantle at Kensington Palace upon relinquishing his appointment as General Director.