Rocker Keith can’t get no Satis-fag-tion
Beatrice’s big day ‘to cost police £500k’
SMOKIN’ Keith Richards
ROLLING Stones legend Keith Richards has quit smoking – after puffing away since he was a kid.
Asked about kicking the habit, the Rolling Stones guitarist, who is 76, said: “Been there, done that.”
His decision to stop was prompted by bandmate Mick Jagger, also 76, needing emergency surgery to repair a heart valve in April.
Keith has been on a health kick ahead of continuing their three-year No Filter Tour in San Diego, California, in May.
Over his lifetime Keith would have smoked an estimated 876,000 cigs.
Keith, nicked five times over drugs, started trying to beat nicotine last February. But he said: “Quitting heroin is hell but a short hell. Cigarettes are just always there.”
THE Met Police and Home Office are due to clash over who will foot the possible £500,000 security bill for Princess Beatrice’s wedding.
Beatrice, 31, and millionaire property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 37, are to wed at Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace on May 29 and a Buckingham Palace reception will follow.
Security sources say the Met will pay for security via Royal Protection funds but they can apply to the
Home Office for a
“special grant”.
But as the event is not likely to cost more than
1% of the Met’s annual budget, insiders say Scotland Yard will have to pick up the tab.
Dai Davies, former Head of Royal Security for the Met, said: “It needs to be policed as a medium to large-sized event for the safety of the guests and the public. Because it is split over two venues with royals travelling between them, with a crowd gathering on a nice spring day, extra layers of security and policing costs will start to mount, which could very easily turn into the hundreds of thousands.” Graham Smith, of anti-monarchy group Republic, said: “After months of Beatrice’s father courting headlines for all the wrong reasons, you’d think they’d have had the good grace to realise that the public appetite for extravagance is wearing very thin.” The Mirror understands that the Home Office is yet to receive a special grant application from the Met to help cover the security costs. A Home Office spokesman said: “Any request for special grant funding will be carefully considered in line with the published guidance.” Security for Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding cost taxpayers £2million.
DISGRACED Dad Andrew
VENUE Couple will wed in Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in Central London