EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Writer’s swipe more than Queen tale 

Royal scribbler Robert Lacey appeals to the derision of Craig Brown for luridly describing, in his biography of the Queen, how the late monarch’s eyes narrowed and her jaw ‘firmed’ as she go through newspaper accounts of the loss of life of Princess Diana. 

In Craig’s guide Haywire, he asks: ‘Was the intrepid Mr Lacey in the Balmoral breakfast place that September morning potentially hiding beneath the table with a periscope to hand?’

Royal scribbler Robert Lacey (pictured) attracts the derision of Craig Brown for luridly describing, in his biography of the Queen, how the late monarch’s eyes narrowed and her jaw ‘firmed’ as she study newspaper accounts of the dying of Princess Diana

Fellow Royal scribe Tina Brown does not escape Craig’s ridicule for describing how Diana, as she entered her 37th 12 months, would have explained to herself she was hunting for appreciate but ‘what she was truly trying to get was a dude with a Gulfstream’. Argues my Every day Mail colleague: ‘She will make no division concerning understanding and conjecture… professing to reproduce not only what Diana imagined she imagined, but what she would have imagined had she been straightforward with herself.’

King Charles’s coronation coincides with Environment Naked Gardening Working day. As a eager horticulturist, he could substitute the Sovereign’s Orb with a pair of secateurs and lay apart uniform and robes, getting a radically calm tactic to his huge working day. Though he is keen to make the crowning much less formal, the odds in opposition to him heading that far are astronomical.

BBC Radio 4 Right now guest editor Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured, states that she adopted restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi’s fancy recipes although she was imprisoned in Iran. There were being two complications. 1: She was incarcerated in Evin Prison – notoriously synonymous with torture and loss of life. And two: She had to swap oregano for thyme as it was the one ingredient that was unavailable.

BBC Radio 4 Right now visitor editor Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured, says that she adopted restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi’s fancy recipes even though she was imprisoned in Iran

Martin Bell laments his early lack of sexual adventures, telling a podcast: ‘I skipped out on a ton. I was at King’s Higher education, Cambridge, in an all-male institution. I was at prep university aged 8 and in the Military which was all male. To me, ladies ended up alien species for yrs.’ Martin is to be commended for the alacrity of his catching up. He added: ‘I was married four situations and you could say I relished it.’

BBC Mastermind host and newscaster Clive Myrie points out why he turned down Strictly this yr, telling Saga Magazine: ‘I imagine for the moment my working day position necessitates a certain level of seriousness. If I paraded about in a sparkly leading, you may well discover it a little bit difficult to take critically what I say when I’m in a war zone.’ He added: ‘When I reported no, I didn’t say by no means.’ So Clive, you have started so you could possibly end!

Matt Hancock bears grim tidings for creator Robert Harris with his plans to carry on his Television career fronting documentaries. ‘I turned addicted to seeing him on I’m A Celeb,’ wails Robert, introducing: ‘Top of my New Year’s resolution listing is avoiding observing him on telly.’ And a healthy and prosperous 2023 to you all.