Don’t get the wrong end of the stick about Her Majesty, please

Following the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service, it was widely reported that the Queen appeared carrying a walking stick. This is nonsense; it was a thumb stick, not a walking stick, topped with a piece of antler. The two are very different. “A walking stick denotes a requirement to assist impaired walking,” says my eagle-eyed uncle, who spotted this accessory, “whereas a thumb stick is merely an elegant prop.”

If you’re after the same, Farlows, on Pall Mall, has a selection for about £100 a go. “They’re very popular,” an assistant tells me, “whether you’re a sevenstone lady or an 18-stone ghillie.” Good for thrashing through things, he adds, demonstrating by waving a thumb stick in front of him like a lightsaber. He also points out that some have whistles carved in the antler handle. Useful for unruly corgis or, er, wayward family members.