The Steeple Times

Tag: royalty

  • TIGing a Drunken Duchess

    TIGing a Drunken Duchess

    The boozy bird the Duchess of Sussex and the newly formed The Independent Group have something in common; this “TIG moment” lover should become their leader

     

    The former Meghan Markle – a bizarre woman who ludicrously  likes to create “spaces to share” and “breeding grounds for ideas and excitement” – once had a blog called ‘The Tig.’ It was supposedly about matters “lifestyle” and on it she created “a hub for the discerning palate – those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion [and] beauty.”

     

    On this oracle of wisdom the busybody ‘Murky Mucky’ shared information that the world simply shouldn’t be without. On the now defunct site’s ‘About’ section, she bizarrely stated:

     

    “Several years ago I had a sip of wine called Tignanello (pronounced “teen-ya-nello“). But let’s be real – in the states most people said “tig-na-nello“…or just plain old “Tig.” The Italiano of it all gets a little tricky, so the bartender kept it simple; it was a glass of “Tig.“ So there I am, with very minimal wine knowledge and I take a sip of this wine. It wasn’t just red or white – suddenly I understood what people meant by the body, legs, structure of wine. It was an ah-ha moment at its finest. For me, it became a “Tig” moment – a moment of getting it.”

     

    “From that point on, any new awareness, any new discovery or “ohhhhh, I get it!” moment was a “Tig” moment. At New York Fashion Week understanding that clothes aren’t just pieces of fabric, but that they can be art. So Tig. Traveling off the beaten track and hand diving for sea urchin in Jamaica – understanding that travel is adventure and discovery, culture and surprise. A Tig moment, indeed. And the same could be said for my love of cooking & dining, for cultivating friendships that inspire you, for the idea of “beauty” and what that means to us. An understanding that comes with living your life to the fullest so that it bursts at the seams. An unbridled joy. An insatiable curiosity. That’s what Tig means to me.”

     

    We won’t bore you with the rest of this right royal pest’s drivel but yesterday, in Westminster, seven now ex-Labour MPs quit their party. They formed a group called ‘The Independent Group’ or more simply ‘TIG.’ Perhaps it might be appropriate that their fellow ‘Tigger’ The Duchess of Sussex become their leader.

     

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    TIGing a Drunken Duchess – Meghan Markle should go into politics – The boozy bird the Duchess of Sussex and the newly formed The Independent Group have something in common; this “TIG moment” lover should become their leader
    The Independent Group announced their creation in Westminster yesterday; they came across as a bunch of attention seekers.
    TIGing a Drunken Duchess – Meghan Markle should go into politics – The boozy bird the Duchess of Sussex and the newly formed The Independent Group have something in common; this “TIG moment” lover should become their leader
    Meanwhile, elsewhere, in New York, ‘The Modern Day Mrs Simpson’ couldn’t help but don the look of an extra from ‘Last Of The Summer Wine’ in wearing a flat cap. Here indeed was a right royal embarrassment.
  • The Modern Day Marie Antoinette

    The Modern Day Marie Antoinette

    Matthew Steeples suggests that is wrong that the Duchess of Sussex is being treated as a victim; she chose her path and it is time she accepted that with being a public figure, criticism will follow

     

    Any criticism of “She Who Must Be Obeyed” – AKA the former Meghan Markle – is immediately condemned as “trolling” and “racism.”

     

    That this meddling upstart has drafted out George Clooney to claim “she is being pursued and vilified like Diana” and implored five unnamed friends to claim she is being “victimised” proves just how pathetic she truly is.

     

    The Duchess of Sussex, in marrying into the royal family, chose public life. Nobody forced her down the path she’s taken and just like when she became an actress, she has to accept that with such a position comes criticism. Aside from collecting herself a ludicrous Marie Antoinette style wardrobe worth the staggering sum of over £1 million in the last year alone, ‘Murky Mucky’ has annoyed the nation by treating her own father so appallingly.

     

    Thomas Markle may have made mistakes, but he, unlike his daughter, is entirely lacking in a PR machine to manage his profile. That this generation’s Mrs Simpson pushed him and her disabled half-sister under the bus is an utter disgrace and that she continues to blame everyone but herself for her situation sums up how outrageous this woman has so fast become.

     

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  • Manic Meghan

    Manic Meghan

    The ‘modern day Mrs Simpson,’ the manic Duchess of Sussex’s, behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic; she needs to learn to control herself or she will indeed become a true laughing stock

    As plain old Meghan Markle, she was known for “carefully planning” publicity stunts on Instagram and elsewhere. ‘Murky Mucky’ likes being in charge but in her latest activities, she’s just shown herself to be erratic and ridiculous.

     

    Headlines about the Duchess of Sussex covering her face in porridge as part of her beauty regime – courtesy no doubt planted by her plainly equally bonkers PR advisors – show her not to be a woman of the people, but instead a bit of a fruit loop.

     

    Elsewhere, that this wannabe Mother Teresa – a woman whose husband once remarked: “What Meghan wants, MEGHAN GETS!” – wrote patronising messages on bananas that were to be given to prostitutes illustrate new-found levels of arrogance on her part. She may call such actions “empowering” but even the previously toady to this former actress Piers Morgan has finally now called her out.

     

    In summing up this tiresome woman’s activities with bananas as “meaningless, scorn-inducing guff,” Morgan is entirely right. This American transplant needs to learn to control herself and she needs to develop some dignity.

     

  • Drive On Phil

    Drive On Phil

    Public outrage over Prince Philip returning to the road is ridiculous suggests Matthew Steeples

     

    Even the normally anti-PC Jeremy Clarkson has taken up the new popular cause of demanding Prince Philip be retired from the roads.

     

    Yes, the royal had an accident (but one in which nobody was seriously hurt) and yes, he ought to wear a seatbelt whilst on the public highway, but one cannot expect this national security risk to exactly get out his bus pass and hop on the number 19.

     

    “What the bloody hell is a man of that age doing behind the wheel of a car?” ranted Clarkson in a column for The Sun whilst the know-nothing and self-proclaimed ‘royal expert Ingrid ‘Sewage’ Seward also weighed in. She, without a shred of evidence to support her remarks, claimed the Queen was “likely annoyed” with her husband.

     

    The Duke of Edinburgh, it was later revealed, supposedly passed an eye test and in spite of his faculties having most amusingly been off-centre for decades, the moaning Minnies should find something more important to get upset about. Drive on Phil!

     

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  • Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair

    Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair

    Mayfair “farmhouse” where Mrs Simpson began her affair with the then Prince of Wales for sale for 147% more than it was marketed for in 2012

     

    Last marketed at a price of £4.75 million ($6.04 million, €5.30 million or درهم22.19 million) in 2012 and offered for sale in 2005 at an undisclosed sum also, a house where the then Mrs Simpson began her affair with the then Prince of Wales is again for sale.

     

    Rebuilt in the early 1900s by a Mrs M. Strakosch in “the Gothic style,” Farm House – or 22 Farm Street as it is more simply known – stands on the site of a farmhouse that predated the development of Mayfair.

     

    Entered through a large oak front door that feature the heads of the twelve apostles, the half-timbered house Mrs Strakosch commissioned featured Flemish linenfold paneling and 17th century doors. Though much of this has now gone, a number of Jacobean and medieval features remain and what is now offered is described as “the perfect space for modern entertaining.”

     

    Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank.
    Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ – For sale for £11.75 million

    Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank.
    Gloria Swanson, Gloria Vanderbilt and Thelma Furness

     

    Farm House includes three reception rooms, two kitchens, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two terraces and a garage. It extends to 4,564 square foot over four floors and was home to the Swiss born Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness (1904 – 1970), the twice married mistress of the then Prince of Wales and later King Edward VIII between 1930 and 1934, during their relationship.

     

    Furness, whose twin sister Gloria (1904 – 1965) became a Vanderbilt and was also the maternal grandmother of the American news anchor Anderson Cooper, at this time, was friends with Wallis Simpson. She introduced her American friend to the prince at her country house, Burrough Court, near Melton Mowbray, first in 1931 but then became supplanted in his affections in 1934.

     

    With their relationship approaching its end, Furness embarked on a short affair with Prince Aly Khan whilst in America and whilst there allowed Simpson to live in her Farm Street home according to the actress Gloria Swanson (1899 – 1983). Later, in her autobiography Silent Boulevard, Swanson wrote:

     

    “Lady Thelma Furness had a charming house on Farm Street, where her friend Wallis Simpson has kept the Prince of Wales company while Thelma was away in the States.”

     

    Swanson, whilst pregnant, and her then husband Michael Farmer subsequently rented Farm House from Furness and of their time there wrote: “The house was empty for the moment, so we settled in to wait for the baby and see old friends.”

     

    Knight Frank now seek £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) for Farm House. Reportedly, according to a 2012 Mayfair Times article, the property comes with deeds that specifically mention that it still has a “right of way for sheep.”

     

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    Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank. Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank.Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank.Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank.Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank. Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank. Mrs Simpson Farmed in Mayfair – Farm House, 22 Farm Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5RQ, United Kingdom – For sale for £11.75 million ($14.95 million, €13.12 million or درهم54.90 million) through Knight Frank.

  • Moron of the Moment – Prince Harry

    Moron of the Moment – Prince Harry

    With his marriage to the woman formerly known as Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has morphed into an utter bore

     

    Prince Harry used to be a fun loving sort. He boozed, partied and enjoyed playing pranks. Now, having married ‘Murky Mucky Mendacious Meg,’ it seems those days are over.

     

    Supposedly, according to “royal insiders” who spoke with the Sunday Express, the meddling newbie royal has banned her husband drinking not only alcohol but also tea. In addition to “quietly weeding out” many of the “party-loving Prince’s drinking pals,” the Duchess of Sussex has also tried to stop him going shooting and forced him to take up yoga.

     

    What will this nuisance of a woman do next? Force Prince Charles to take up Tai Chi?

     

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  • Brash Beatrice

    Brash Beatrice

    Has ‘Tatler’ magazine lost the plot? They’ve named Princess Beatrice one of their “best dressed of the year”

     

    Princess Beatrice is well-known for her fashion fails. From hideous hats to dowdy dresses, the daughter of ‘Randy Andy’ and the Duchess of York rarely fails to deliver a ‘look’ that nobody would want to imitate but now, in their wisdom, Tatler magazine have decided otherwise.

     

    In putting the royal alongside the ever elegant Cate Blanchett and the luscious Lily James, the society magazine’s Chandler Tregaskes has only revealed one thing: She must be as blind as a bat.

     

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  • A Mega Priced Metro

    A Mega Priced Metro

    1985 MG Metro 6R4 to be auctioned; it has an extraordinary estimate of £180,000 to £200,000 and just 175 miles on the clock

     

    With over 1.5 million built during its production run, the Austin (and later Rover) Metro is in the top ten of car models sold by number in the UK ever. Lady Diana Spencer – later the Princess of Wales – drove a W-reg example prior to her marriage and the actor Peter Bowles was also said to have been a fan.

     

    Promoted in jingoistic style by its manufacturer as “A British Car To Beat The World,” the Metro also found fame on the rally circuit. Created for the short-lived ‘Group B’ rally category, the MG Metro 6R4 bore a cosmetic resemblance to its city car parent, but in fact was something completely different and something that packed a bit of a punch.

     

    Developed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering, this turbocharged 3-litre V6 engined car came in the form of a ‘Clubman’ model, a road-going version developing about 250 bhp, and a more powerful 410 bhp International ‘Group B’ specification rally car. Around 200 of the former were built and sold to the public whilst 20 of the latter were made.

     

    In January, a 1985 ‘Group B’ example that has covered just 175 miles from new and was part of Williams Grand Prix Engineering’s collection from 1988 to 2005 will be sold at auction. It is presented in “sparkling condition” and was fully recommissioned and overhauled by BGM Sport in 2016/2017.

     

    Silverstone Auctions will sell the car at their Autosport International Sale 2019 on 12th January at the NEC, Birmingham with an estimate of £180,000 to £200,000 ($227,000 to $253,000, €200,000 to €222,000 or درهم835,000 to درهم928,000).

     

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    A Mega Priced Metro– 1985 MG Metro 6R4 to be auctioned with an estimate of £180,0000 to £200,000 ($227,000 to $253,000, €200,000 to €222,000 or درهم835,000 to درهم928,000) on 12th January 2019 through Silverstone Auctions at their Autosport International Sale 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham.A Mega Priced Metro– 1985 MG Metro 6R4 to be auctioned with an estimate of £180,0000 to £200,000 ($227,000 to $253,000, €200,000 to €222,000 or درهم835,000 to درهم928,000) on 12th January 2019 through Silverstone Auctions at their Autosport International Sale 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham.A Mega Priced Metro– 1985 MG Metro 6R4 to be auctioned with an estimate of £180,0000 to £200,000 ($227,000 to $253,000, €200,000 to €222,000 or درهم835,000 to درهم928,000) on 12th January 2019 through Silverstone Auctions at their Autosport International Sale 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham.

  • Save The Swan

    Save The Swan

    Matthew Steeples highlights that not only the appalling case of two swans and five cygnets being shot in Kent but also other problems facing these majestic birds

     

    This summer, on The Serpentine in Hyde Park, I witnessed a Chinese tourist attempting to hug a swan. Though I told him how unacceptable this truly was, he simply shrugged his shoulders (he plainly couldn’t speak a word of English) and attempted to carry on. Though hindered by one of my arm being in a sling, in a slightly wingless fashion, I managed to pull him away and the majestic yet wrongly targeted bird waddled off into the water.

     

    Yesterday, an even more shocking case of “swan abuse” was sadly highlighted with news that that two swans and five cygnets had been found wrapped in plastic bags and thrown in a stream in Benenden, Kent. After X-rays of the birds were taken it was revealed that these innocent creatures were peppered with pellets and thus victims of what an RSPCA inspector, Dave Grant, termed an “absolutely disgusting” attack.

     

    Save The Swan – Matthew Steeples highlights that not only the appalling case of swans being shot but also other problems facing these majestic birds.
    An X-ray of one of the birds that was so brutally slaughtered

     

    Given that virtually all swans in England and Wales are owned by the Queen, it has been suggested that the birds were targeted due to their association with royalty. Stephen Knight of the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, Middlesex remarked:

     

    “The reason they pick on swans is because it is widely know that they belong to the Crown, so they are a symbol of the establishment.”

     

    “The kind of people who do this are faceless bullies that have got no moral compass. Someone once posted a gag that was titled ‘how to upset the Queen.’ It included a picture of a gun and swan, which was locked in a cage. After that we saw a little spike in shootings.”

     

    Elsewhere, it has been revealed that the “Bin the Bread” campaign to stop people feeding swans bread has resulted in many of the birds now being underweight. In comments to The Telegraph, the Queen’s Swan Marker, David Barber, Member of the Royal Victorian Order, remarked stated “there is no good reason” not to feeds swans bread. He remarked that many now wander the roads and put themselves in further danger whilst looking for food and added:

     

    “Supporters of the campaign claim that bread should not be fed to swans on the grounds that it is bad for them. This is not correct. Swans have been fed bread for many hundreds of years without causing any ill effects.”

     

    “While bread may not be the best dietary option for swans compared to their natural food such as river weed, it has become a very important source of energy for them, supplementing their natural diet and helping them to survive the cold winter months when vegetation is very scarce.”

     

    “There is no good reason not to feed bread to swans, provided it is not mouldy.”

     

    “Most households have surplus bread and children have always enjoyed feeding swans with their parents.”

     

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  • The Poppy Pariahs

    The Poppy Pariahs

    Matthew Steeples names and shames the retail giants who won’t be selling Royal British Legion poppies this year; they include Boots, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Tesco, Waitrose and Wholefoods

     

    Even ‘Murky’ Meghan Markle – down under in New Zealand on tour – is sporting one right now; the humble poppy. A mark of respect to those who fought so we didn’t end up living under a regime of terror, most surprisingly, isn’t available at a single supermarket in Belgravia, Chelsea, Fulham or Knightsbridge.

     

    Today, I visited Sainsbury’s in Elizabeth Street, Belgravia in the hope of buying a Royal British Legion poppy. I asked at the counter and was met with: “We don’t sell those things.” I then telephoned the company’s press office and was told: “Our employees got the wrong end of the stick.”

     

    Subsequently, by email, a media relations executive working at the firm, Jordan Grant, replied and commented: “We can reassure customers poppies will be available in store this week.” Given it is already 29th October and Remembrance Sunday is just 13 days away, this is hardly acceptable – especially given the store is already selling Christmas decorations (Christmas Day is 57 days away).

     

    Next, in frustration, I visited Tesco on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. Situated directly next to the National Army Museum and close to the Royal Hospital – home to the legendary and widely respected Chelsea Pensioners. On asking for a poppy, a till operative lackadaisically remarked: “We do not sell those things. We are a supermarket.”

     

    Waitrose Belgravia – commonly known as “Celebrity Waitrose” due to the likes of John Cleese and Lady Helen Taylor being regulars –presented a similar but worse response. The customer service desk operative at the flagship store told me: “We do not condone war so do not sell poppies. It is against our company policy.”

     

    A friend, on my behalf, visited Wholefoods and was told: “We don’t know what poppies are” (they, at least, suggested donating to a homeless charity). She also got told at Boots: “We don’t sell things like that” but did find a lovely pair of Sikh gentlemen selling poppies in the Fulham Broadway underground station. She gave them £25.

     

    A phone call to Selfridges was met with: “We do not supply poppies” but Harrods came through. Their customer service desk call handler announced: “We will be selling poppies later this week. We like to support the Royal British Legion.”

     

    Shame on the high street retailers of Britain. Not a poppy in sight and not an ounce of support for the heroes who’ve saved us. This is an utter disgrace and it should be named as such.

     

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