Ephraim Hardcastle
They were the first samesex couple to win Olympic gold together when the British women’s hockey team came top at the 2016 Rio Olympics. And last year, kate and Helen RichardsonWalsh were the first same-sex couple to feature on the same honours list – an MBE for Helen and the superior OBE for kate, who was the captain. now, they’re the first married (to each other) ladies invited to a state banquet – this week’s hooley for the king of hockey-loving Holland.
HAVING enjoyed a flirtatious TV encounter with President Trump’s colourful exspokesman Anthony Scaramucci, 54, in 2017, Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis had an onscreen reunion this week. She reminded the rascal: ‘You accused [ex-White House strategist] Steve Bannon of self-fellating.’ Scaramucci: ‘I love the way you pronounce it.’ Ms Maitlis: ‘Thank you.’ Isn’t saucy Emily wasted on dreary Newsnight?
Speaker John Bercow has hosted a party in honour of Labour’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman MP, who hopes to replace him. Her husband, Labour MP Jack Dromey, urges colleagues to support her bid, asking one I know: ‘Would you like a word with Harriet?’ A Westminster source says: ‘Jockeying for the Speakership was once frowned upon.’
PRINCE William struck a blow for his antiivory cause with wife Kate’s Royal Family Order brooch, pictured, from the Queen being made of glass instead of elephant tusk. The duchess is likely to have the order of three sovereigns – a second from Charles III and, by tradition, she would be the first to receive one from her husband William V.
THE departures of Simon Mayo, Eddie Mair and Chris Evans from BBC Radio are blamed by some on director of radio James Purnell. A former Labour MP parachuted into the corporation by director-general Tony Hall after the Jimmy Savile scandal, Purnell didn’t have to jump through the usual recruitment hoops. ‘He’s now on his third BBC job without going through a fully open appointment process,’ I am advised.
HM’s Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn didn’t attend the state banquet for the king and queen of the Netherlands. He sent a colleague, Commons bruiser Emily Thornberry, in his place. It was a white-tie-andtails event; Corbyn’s attended only one – for communist China’s President Xi in 2015.
King Willem-Alexander of the netherlands, whose state visit ended yesterday, is a grandson of Queen Juliana, who invented Holland’s ‘bicycling monarchy’. She symbolised progressive attitudes, poured drinks for guests, shopped at a supermarket and sent her children to state school. Our own Prince Charles likes cycling – as long as he doesn’t have to do it. ‘His staff are advised to walk, cycle or get public transport,’ I am told.
COMIC Rob Brydon has been boasting to Australians – he’s due to tour there – about his impersonating skills, telling them: ‘I met Mick Jagger at a party and he started impersonating Michael Caine. He was very poor.’ Sir Mick will be amused.