Ephraim Hardcastle
THE BBC documentary about the Coronation did not refer to a controversial item among the Crown Jewels – the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which was valued at £145million 50 years ago. Why? It was presented to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1850 as ‘spoils of war’. She was uneasy about its provenance and the government in Delhi has been asking for its return since 1947. APROPOS of the £10billion Crown Jewels, who owns them? In a TV interview in 2000 about the Royal Collection, Prince Philip said the Queen ‘is perfectly at liberty to sell them’. Intriguingly, the BBC wasn’t allowed to film the crown from above. Producer Anthony Geffen was told that vantage point was reserved for God. Asked to identify ‘the most famous person you sold knickers to when you worked at Agent Provocateur’, singer Paloma Faith, 36, says: ‘Beyoncé and Angelina Jolie.’ Any embarrassing moments? ‘A lot of people didn’t know it was a knicker shop and thought it was a knocking shop.’ DESCRIBED as former chef to the late Princess Diana and her sons, Darren McGrady queries Prince William’s upcoming tour of Sweden and Norway, sneering: ‘Prince William is to fly his entourage to Stockholm... private jet, of course. His father’s son, that one, Princess Diana once said. Right, of course.’ GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel, 63, is praised by US feminist Camille Paglia, 70, for ‘her ability to project confident leadership while maintaining her naturalness and spontaneity as a real person with a rich personal life’. Fancy! She compared Frau Merkel favourably with Hillary Clinton, 70, adding: ‘Hillary lives like a darkly-brooding Marie Antoinette, barricaded behind her wealth and security guards. She seems to have no hobbies and few interests, aside from her pursuit of money and power.’ THE Commons education select committee, looking at how apprenticeships can help youngsters, took evidence yesterday from Joe Dromey, 33, from the Blairite think-tank the IPPR. Joe had little need of life- changing apprenticeships. Described as a former adviser to a shadow business secretary, it’s more informative to say that his father is Labour MP and former trade union leader Jack Dromey and his mother is Harriet Harman, former deputy leader of the Labour Party. THE Royal Collection is expected to bring out a souvenir or two commemorating Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May. In the five years from 2012 to 2017, its retail sales generated a cool £84,725,000. Although Camilla’s 70th birthday last year went unexploited, a selection of back-to-school items was offered marking Princess Charlotte’s first day at nursery last week, and within hours of the BBC documentary, The Coronation, being screened, emails went out promoting its jewellery range, including a £120 tiara, a £250 crystal-and-pearl necklace and a £350 charm bracelet. Ker-ching!