King Charles, having met and apparently bonded with Angela Rayner at one of his Scottish piles Dumfries House in September, had the Deputy PM to Buck House on Wednesday.
Charles, who aides say has taken a shine to Angela, was trying to persuade her – not entirely successfully – of the virtues of beauty when approving planning applications.
He has his work cut out but is optimistic.
‘I’m his common friend,’ Angela was heard telling a courtier.
Rayner with King Charles in Summer. ‘I’m his common friend,’ Angela was heard telling a courtier
King Charles, having met and apparently bonded with Angela Rayner at one of his Scottish piles Dumfries House in September, had the Deputy PM to Buck House on Wednesday
Charles, who aides say has taken a shine to Angela, was trying to persuade her – not entirely successfully – of the virtues of beauty when approving planning applications
Monitoring closely the manoeuvres to return the Elgin Marbles, the King may be wondering if he might have to give up the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Although the British Museum Act of 1963 prevents it giving away anything in its possession, the King’s vast Royal Collection of art, jewellery, furniture, decorative arts and costume – the largest in private ownership in the world – has no such restrictions.
Legal advice deems that the collection is the monarch’s to do with as he pleases.
But with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi about to wage a diplomatic campaign for the diamond’s return, pressure to relinquish the priceless bauble (not used at the coronation to avoid a row) will intensify if the Greeks get their way.
The Elgin Marbles at the British Museum. Monitoring closely the manoeuvres to return the Elgin Marbles, the King may be wondering if he might have to give up the Koh-i-Noor diamond
Reflecting on the Gregg Wallace donnybrook , turbo-tongued Kathy Lette, pictured, quips: ‘BBC pulls Christmas MasterChef.
Perhaps they can replace it with Huw Edwards’s highlights, re-runs of Rolf Harris or Russell Brand?’
Earl Spencer admits to losing a lucrative deal to have his ancestral pile Althorp House used for filming Stanley Kubrick’s swansong movie Eyes Wide Shut, with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
‘I was told, “If you come across Kubrick don’t look at him and don’t speak to him,”’ remembers Spencer.
Earl Spencer admits to losing a lucrative deal to have his ancestral pile Althorp House used for filming Stanley Kubrick’s swansong movie Eyes Wide Shut, with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
‘Well, I bumped into him in my library and I thought it was a bit rude not to say hello. So I said hello, and he turned round and left!’
Israeli prison officer Shalom Nagar, who has died aged 88, was assigned to guard the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann, ensuring that he didn’t smuggle poison into his cell prior to his 1962 hanging.
‘Before I gave him his meals,’ he recalled.
‘I had to taste it myself. If I didn’t drop dead after two minutes, the duty officer allowed the plate into his cell.’
Cliff Richard wants to market his Christmas Gravy like Paul Newman sells branded mayonnaise
Cliff Richard is keen to market his ‘custard thick’ Christmas gravy recipe, saying: ‘I’m still waiting for some company to offer me a deal.
Paul Newman has his name on all sorts of mayonnaise and salad dressings and he did it for charity. I’m available.’
Shame he never thought of a musical collaboration with, er, Stock, Aitken and Waterman.