Last Sunday, Mandrake reported that HMQ was none too pleased with her Prime Minister. As she obviously felt that Brown was not listening to her advice – after all HMQ has only seen every state paper for a mere 57 years – the Queen took the unprecedented step of inviting Antony Beevor, the acclaimed military historian, to Balmoral for the Brown’s annual weekend jolly.
The invitation for Beevor, a former officer with the 11th Hussars, and his wife, Artemis Cooper, who is the granddaughter of the actress Lady Diana Cooper, is fascinating.
The weekend at Balmoral is the only occasion during the year at which the Prime Minister stays with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and it is said to be "highly unusual" for other house guests, apart from members of the Royal family, to join them.
Beevor was reluctant to be drawn on what precisely he discussed with Brown and the Queen at Balmoral. His wife tells me, diplomatically: "It was a great honour to be invited. It went very well, but that is all we would like to say about it."
One can just imagine the scene as HMQ, Prince Philip and Beevor launched their very own Exocet missiles at Brown over dinner.
No doubt HMQ finished off the evening by putting her handbag over her arm and declaring, “We are not amused Prime Minister” and then as an afterthought asking, “Shall I send for the postman!”
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