Queen's repair bill for crumbling palaces rises to ?40 million

The backlog in repairs at Buckingham Palace and other crumbling buildings on the Royal estate has soared.

Nina Bawden misses the applause at Carrie's War first night

Mandrake was sorry not to see the 84yearold Nina Bawden at the first night of the stage adaptation of her bestseller Carrie's War at the Apollo Theatre in the West End.

Prince Charles offers cash and contacts to struggling dairy farmers in Wales

The Prince of Wales has intervened in the dairy farming crisis offering his cash advice and top level contacts to embattled Welsh communities.

Earl Spencer divorce ruling 'will lead to greater scrutiny of other celebrity splits'

A judge's decision to allow the press to report details of Earl Spencer's divorce case will open the door to greater scrutiny of other celebrity marriage breakups legal experts said.

Prince Charles receives almost 25 per cent more from taxpayer

Taxpayer funding for the Prince of Wales rose by a record 24 per cent last year at the same time as his personal tax bill fell Clarence House's accounts showed.

The Royal Wardrobe: Fashion fit for Queen Elizabeth II

On her first Commonwealth tour alone the Queen took 100 different outfits. We have a look at the ultimate working wardrobe.

MPs' expenses: Queen's composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies to write opera

The Queen's composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies has disclosed that he is writing a comic opera about the MPs' expenses scandal which may feature duck houses and moats.