Ephraim Hardcastle
NOW she’s 90, how can the Queen’s life be made easier? her heavy ceremonial robes are to be lightened, but hM has rejected plans to convey her to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament on May 18 by car rather than coach. Using a lift to avoid the stairs of the Victoria Tower is mooted. But my source says: ‘it’s actually going down stairs that makes the Queen nervous. Up is fine. At a cathedral service in 2012, rain made the St Paul’s steps slippery, so the Queen emerged via the side door instead.’
NOTING Labour politician Ben Bradshaw’s pronunciation of Nigel Farage’s surname as ‘Farridge’, the PM comments in the Commons: ‘I’m glad he takes the English pronunciation of Farage rather than the rather poncey, foreign-sounding one he [Farage] seems to prefer.’ Isn’t this unnecessarily nasty?
AS psychopath ramsay Bolton in mega-popular Game of Thrones, babyfaced Welsh actor iwan rheon, 30, pictured in character, is the most hated figure on TV. he appals viewers by gleefully flaying and castrating rivals and raping a hostage bride. his next role? ‘Playing young hitler in a TV film – i’m typecast already,’ he groans.
GEORGE Galloway lost his Bradford West constituency to Labour’s controversial Naz Shah, whose antiSemitic remarks are causing a crisis for the party. He comments: ‘Naz Shah MP’s comments were half-witted, not antiSemitic.’ So nuanced!
PRINCE harry, 31, is burnishing his CV with a trip to Toronto and supporting his invictus Games in Florida. he is getting his own spot on remembrance Sunday and will appear at all three Anzac Day events this week. ‘William will be King but harry will be People’s King – that’s the plan,’ advises a source. is that wise? The last monarch so called was Edward Viii, who had to abdicate after shacking up with an American double divorcee, Wallis Simpson.
COMIC John Cleese, 76, touring Holland with his stage show, frets about a lukewarm, ‘undemonstrative’ Rotterdam audience. Luckily he never had to appear at the Glasgow Empire, which closed in 1963. Des O’Connor ‘fainted’ to escape a hostile, jeering audience at the venue known as ‘the English comic’s grave’.
INTERVIEWED by Nick robinson on radio 4’s Today programme, Lord Patten recalls his days as BBC chairman (2011 to 2014), remarking: ‘happy families, Nick.’ Patten, 71, presided when the Savile scandal plunged the Corporation into crisis and was criticised over the multi-million-pound pay-offs extorted by departing BBC suits.
FRENCH finance minister Michel Sapin, 64, twangs the knicker elastic of a female journalist. He denies the ‘inaccurate and scurrilous’ allegation. But being France, his behaviour is no doubt considered amusing, not a hanging offence.