EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Has King Charles ushered in a new class of royalty by sidelining Harry, Meghan and Andrew?
Has King Charles ushered in a new class of royalty?
By sidelining Harry, Meghan and Andrew as ‘non-working’ family members, he has seemingly narrowed down the core royals to those funded by him from the Duchy of Lancaster estate, along with William and Kate (bankrolled by the Duchy of Cornwall).
Turning the order of precedence upside down, it appears Edward (thirteenth in line to the throne), Anne (sixteenth), the Duke of Gloucester (thirtieth), Duke of Kent (fortieth) and Princess Alexandra (fifty-sixth) – all still funded by the Duchy of Lancaster – outrank Harry (fifth) and Andrew (eighth).
A source says the King has no desire to formalise the arrangements.
But is he hoping the new system will – just by convention – become the norm?
EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Has King Charles, pictured today, ushered in a new class of royalty?
King Charles has yet to grapple with the logistical nightmare of where to seat Harry, Meghan and Andrew for his coronation.
William and Kate will have priority but what about the Queen Consort’s family?
It will be the first time a monarch has had step-children present at a crowning.
And where will Camilla’s ex Andrew Parker Bowles sit?
Perhaps he could squeeze in next to Princess Anne for old times’ sake.
After Sir Ian McKellen voiced opposition to the modern presence of intimacy coordinators for actors’ love scenes, Dame Emma Thompson, pictured, responds disapprovingly: ‘It’s all very well if you’re a bloke, it’s a different kind of thing.’
So how did it go when Emma appeared in the buff with Irish co-star Daryl McCormack (over 30 years her junior) in 2022 movie Good Luck To You, Leo Grande?
She didn’t have an intimacy co-ordinator, explaining: ‘We felt like it was something we could do together.’
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace could inflict another headache on PM Rishi if he succeeds Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and triggers a by-election when he leaves government.
Wallace has his eye on Stoltenberg’s job when he steps down later this year. There is a precedent. Labour defence secretary George Robertson got the job two years into Tony Blair’s premiership in 1999.
But will Ben’s ambitions be blunted if Nato boffins discover the British Army has 265 more horses than Challenger tanks?
Woe upon woe heaps on beleaguered BBC chairman and Tory donor Richard Sharp.
Former public appointments commissioner Sir David Normington blames his elevation to chairman on a 2016 rule change allowing government ministers to appoint financial supporters with ‘impunity’ and asks: ‘Is it any wonder the public have little confidence in our politicians or those they appoint to lead our most important public bodies?’
Operation Banbury, the top secret mission to bring Volodymyr Zelensky to the UK, had the additional task of ensuring Vol landed in Paris for his meeting with President Macron in a plane bedecked in red, white and blue, emblazoned with ‘United Kingdom’ in gold letters.
Mission accomplished. Emmanuel was delighted (not).
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