Ephraim Hardcastle
BORIS’S threat to dismantle part of the European Convention on Human Rights might prompt a stroll down memory lane for Charles and Camilla. Before their 2005 wedding, royals were forbidden by law from marrying in a civil ceremony. To the relief of Prince Charles and his bride, Lord Chancellor Charlie Falconer came to the rescue citing the human rights legislation as confirming their right to wed. How he did it remains a mystery as the full advice was never made public. The happy couple will be relieved to learn that should Boris repeal the convention it won’t act retrospectively.
GARTER King of Arms Thomas Woodcock burns the midnight oil creating coats of arms for Boris’s crop of 36 new peers. How fares Woodcock’s blue-tinted and three-quilled insignia devised for Meghan Markle when she wed Harry? It features an open-mouthed songbird with its wings spread and a coronet around its neck rather than atop its head (to meet the heraldic rules for commoners who wed royalty). It’s known as being ‘ducally gorged’. Might Meghan follow the example of MGM’s lion, with her crest fanfaring future Netflix productions?
COMMONS Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg expresses astonishment at Zoe Ball’s £1million-plus BBC salary, telling MPs he was ‘horrified, appalled and shocked’ that Test Match Special’s Jonathan Agnew didn’t earn a similar amount. ‘It’s a great injustice,’ he says. ‘I hope someone will request a backbench business debate and put this right. Fairness for Aggers!’ Deep breaths, Moggy.
MARKING the fifth anniversary of sister Jackie’s death, Dame Joan Collins, pictured, recalls: ‘When we first heard Jackie had died five years ago, all the lights went off. Last night we were watching television... all the lights went out, exactly the same as five years before. I do believe there was some kind of force saying, “I’m here”.’ Has hubby Percy Gibson checked the fuse box?
BBC accounts reveal BBC2 controller Patrick Holland and BBC3 counterpart Fiona Campbell spent £1,588 and £1,815 respectively staying at Hollywood’s Petit Ermitage, which boasts a butterfly and hummingbird sanctuary and a salt-water pool. Director of content Charlotte Moore only claimed £700 for her stay. Maybe she wasn’t allowed in the pool?
NO sooner were eyebrows raised at Jim Naughtie’s £175,000 salary, listed among the BBC’s top earners five years after he ceased regular Radio 4 Today presenting, than Jim popped up on the show yesterday with a report from Germany. Hats off to special correspondent Naughtie!
PLAYING a Bond villain, jumbo Scots actor Robbie Coltrane envied handsome 007 Pierce Brosnan, explaining: ‘We’d be getting made up, I’d be in one chair and he’d be in another and I would think, “God, imagine waking up every morning and shaving a face that looked like that”. You know? Look what they gave me!’