The proposal by Lord Sedwill to modernise the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) by getting rid of all those imperialist paintings has not impressed Denis MacShane, Tony Blair’s former Europe minister. MacShane recalls Robin Cook trying this in 1997, replacing a grand portrait of a fighting maharajah behind the foreign secretary’s desk with what MacShane calls a “tacky Bolton Art Gallery painting in a poor white frame” by the 1950s kitchen-sink realist John Bratby. “It was ghastly,” he says. MacShane says Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary, owed his promotion to being the only mandarin who understood theresamayspeak and worries where it might end. “They could relocate the Foreign Office to Finchley,” he shudders, “or a Thames Water branch office.”
One person who may favour an FCO rebrand is Prince Andrew, whose recent Netflix appearance reminded a former ambassador of working with him. With trademark charm, the Duke of York told the diplomat he would not be leaving his cabin on a tour. “My father calls you lot the F***ing Contrary Office,” he said. “It’s best to do the complete opposite to what you advise.” And hasn’t it served him well?
Raising a glass
Ben Elton is unmoved by anti-drinking campaigns. Noting one that said even moderate drinking will knock two years off your life, the writer says: “They don’t tell you which two years. It’s the last two, the rubbish two, the two you spend not recognising your kids and having to be taken to the toilet.” As far as Elton is concerned, he’s happy to sacrifice those years for some good claret. Maybe it should be prescribed?
Well turned out
The 8th Marquess of Anglesey is auctioning some of the family possessions via Sotheby’s to help to run his estate. Hopefully, he is keeping hold of the ermine. For the big royal occasion last year, the marquess had to reclaim the family’s Coronation robes from the National Trust, which took over their country house in 1976, but as he was getting togged up in the Abbey he felt something was not quite right. It took the Duke of Wellington to note that he was trying on the marchioness’s robes.
Fortunately, the 7th Earl of Caledon had a spare outfit that Anglesey could borrow to spare his blushes with the few who would notice, even if it meant a temporary reduction in rank.
Advertisement
The war photographer Sir Don McCullin and his wife, Catherine, are hosting a party at the Frontline club this month to celebrate the launch of a new podcast. Amusingly, the invitation tells guests they can pick up a “singed copy” of one of Don’s books. Or maybe it wasn’t a typo?
Smoke signals
“He’s selfish, he’s arrogant, he believes he is the centre of the world. He is a great man.” So said Winston Churchill of Charles de Gaulle. Sinclair McKay, who has written Meeting Churchill, told the Oldie literary lunch about their irascible relationship. In 1941, De Gaulle barged into Downing Street to air grievances. “Officials outside could hear the screaming, the shouting,” McKay said. “And then, after about an hour, it went quiet.” Staff wondered if the French leader had killed Churchill. They entered the room, and found that the pair’s mouths had been bunged by two huge cigars. De Gaulle was still fuming, but now in a different, better sense.
