Now the Leftie Laureate snubs another royal birth

The title of Poet Laureate is bestowed upon those whose work is deemed of national significance, previously held by distinguished metrists Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Ted hughes.

But while the appointment to the Royal household is historically charged with marking state events, its current incumbent, Carol Ann Duffy, appears dogged in her reluctance to acknowledge such occasions.

For Glasgow-born Duffy, who became the post’s first woman and openly bisexual candidate when she succeeded Sir Andrew Motion as Laureate in 2009, has declined to compose a verse for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s second child.

It’s the second time Duffy has snubbed a royal birth, having also chosen not to write anything to mark Prince George’s arrival in 2013, with her spokesman at the time claiming she was too busy.

SINCE her appointment by the Queen, Duffy, whose father once stood as a Labour candidate for Parliament, has come up with two royal-inspired odes.

One was for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011 and the other for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. however, it has been pointed out that neither contained any reference to the royals.

During her time as Laureate, she has chosen to tackle more left-field topics. In 2010, she wrote Achilles (For David Beckham) about the tendon injury that left him out of that year’s World Cup.

Since then, she’s had two works published in the Guardian, including a charming ode about the Government’s housing benefit cut, 22 Reasons For The Bedroom Tax.

On her appointment, Duffy was given a traditional butt of sack — 600 bottles of sherry — and earns £5,750 a year, which she passes to the Poetry Society.

Among those baffled by her role is celebrated aesthete Brian Sewell.

‘I think these people accept these honours without thinking what the responsibilities are,’ he tells me. ‘It doesn’t surprise me that she doesn’t take part. She’s very Left-wing and her political beliefs may have something to do with it. She’s a pretty rotten poet.’