Meghan Markle says the Mail distorted her father's letter

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Meghan Markle Claims Mail Suppressed Key Parts of Her Letter to her Father About 'Exploitation by British Tabloid

Prime Minister News with Boris the Bore

Retiring British Prime Minister Theresa May was at a party last week discussing her plans after she leaves Number 10, Downing Street. Although May will stay on as an MP she was overheard saying she would love a really good holiday after her successor takes over. May confided she had always wanted to visit Uluru in the Northern Territory with the added bonus- it was about as far away from the halls of Westminster as she could get.

                                     

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Theresa May's successor, former London Mayor and Foreign Minister Boris Johnston spent a gap year as a teaching assistant at Timbertop at Geelong Grammar School teaching maths. A group of old Geelong Grammar students were at Double Bay's Sheaf pub last week discussing old times when one ex-student brought up the memory of being taught by the next UK PM. Asked his impression of Johnson he responded : "I can't remember much about him- he was affable but boring and pretty forgettable". Ouch!.

Barefoot Contessa Moment

Prince Charles and Camila demonstrate they are real people by walking onto the sand at Surfer's Paradise beach. She is barefoot- he wears suede shoes which many are complaining about. We have no view either way. Others claim the Duchess of Cornwall read a magazine during the opening ceremony. Whispers is reliably informed she was actually reading the program for the Commonwealth Games opening night gala events. Perhaps she was trying to check what time the misery would end.

Booted by Wikipedia

It's a sad day when one of Britain's top selling newspapers gets told by the on-line encyclopedia

Wikipedia to clear out their desk and leave the premises. The Daily Mail has been told that it can be no longer be used as a reliable source although Whispers feels quite a few British tabloids could well receive the same treatment.
We here are quite fond of the Mail even if they do nick the odd story from us. We've also made a habit of posting our regular Daily Mail Fails such as this ripper when they reported on the sad death of comedienne Tracey Ullman's mother. In the photo caption they claimed (in several editions) that the lady accompanying Ullman was her mother when in fact it was Australian actress Nell Campbell of Rocky Horror Film fame. The fact both women appeared to be of similar age seems to have eluded the editor.
Alas the curse of Daily Mail Fail has struck again on the very day they get their marching orders from Wikipedia.

 In this story about the sad death of British society identity Tara Palmer -Tomkinson they make some strange mistakes, firstly claiming Palmer-Tomkinson's body had been discovered by her "Portuguese cleaner" and then just a paragraph later claiming her body had been discovered by a 'friend'.
Mind you, perhaps her Portuguese maid was a close friend.

Still, who are we to cast stones. There's probably a blog somewhere compiling some of our corkers.

Royal Ascot, Royal Secrets

Please watch the video first as an introduction : that's a command from Her Maj, Queen of Australia (UK, Canada etc etc and so on) who is seen in our exclusive snap arriving at the pollies' Mid-Winter Ball in Canberra last week.

           It's very chilly in Sydney with a wind howling down from the snowfields but in London it's bright and sunny and that time of the year for Wimbledon, Windsor Polo and the races at Royal Ascot. Plenty of pics have been published of famous Aussies in the VIP Box at the tennis but here are our exclusive snaps of ritzy Double Bay hairdresser Joh Bailey who has taken Ascot by storm. And doesn't he look elegant? (no idea who the lady in top hat is but she looks great)
 Joh is a fine horseman himself so he has a great interest in the beasts and when he isn't tending to the locks of Sydney society matrons or visiting celebs like the Duchess of York or movie legend Jane Fonda- seen with Joh in our snap - he's appearing at gymkhanas and horse trials. At present he's moved on from the grand Belgravia mansion he was staying in and is now in Paris. Ain't life grand for some !

## The Shuttle has attended Ascot twice. Many moons ago we traveled in style in a Range Rover with a good friend Stephen Barry who worked at Buck Palace.  Amazingly, Barry's car was waved through at blocked intersections by police as they spotted him bearing down on them. They held up traffic as we sailed past. It's then we learned the car was owned by Barry's employer Prince Charles and he had borrowed it for the day. Being painted a special blue supplied by British Paints, a colour reserved for the Royals (right), it's how we discovered that all British police are trained in spotting the special coloured cars to ensure smooth passage of VIPs. Like us.
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          Below is a pic of the Windsor Polo and the Cartier Cup. It's a splendid snap and we love the lady in front. Apparently in one of our snaps is a royal impersonator and in our other snap it's a genuine Royal. We can't tell which is which, perhaps you can!

Softly Softly..

A new photographic exhibition has opened at the Dickerson Gallery in ritzy Queen Street , Woollahra. It's a potted history of 2 of the countries finest suppliers of beautiful gowns and jewelry : Anne Schofield and Robert Burton, pictured left. Both have shops in Queen Street.

Robert Burton is one of those quiet achievers who has been running up frocks now for over 30 years for some of Australia's best known social names and a few Hollywood types who pop into town.
 On show at the Gallery is a magnificent black gown he created for a customer who had the honour of Dancing With The Prince of Wales ( Charles) in the 80s. His outfits are sold in prestige outlets like Browns in London and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Anne Schofield has been collecting antique and Art Deco jewellery since the year dot (we know- the Shuttle was one of her suppliers in another lifetime). Her magnificent store is world famed and customers like Barbara Streisand and Cher have spent money there. The famed London store Butler & Wilson regularly raid Anne's collections for their Chelsea and Rodeo Drive boutiques.
Burton's boutique is directly opposite the gallery and worth popping into as he also sells a range of household decorating goods. And maybe to cop a look at one of Sydney's most magnificent manes of grey hair.

The exhibition is part of the Woollahra Village Weekend.

Dickerson Gallery, 34 Queen Street, Woollahra. Hours:Tue-Sat 11am-5pm Sun 1-5pm

Pic of The Week

Our exclusive photograph : Dame Edna Everage shares a box at this week's Royal Command Performance with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Photo Update

Sydney socialite and sometime Liberal Party fixer Glen Marie Frost is recovering in hospital after a - rat bite !

Meanwhile one of her charges, PM Tony Abbott has been hobnobbing with Prince Charles at the CHOGM conference in Sri Lanka.

Teaching the British

London mayor Boris Johnston (who comedian Jon Stewart once charmingly described as “a boiled ham in a DonaldTrump wig.”) has written an impassioned letter to the the UK Telegraph on behalf of Aussie teachers. Boris reckons there should be more of them and they should be encouraged to teach the English, English and so on. Boris is no stranger to these shores. In the 80s he attended Prince Charles' old school  Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop and his mayoral election was organised by Aussie election mastermind Lynton Crosby.

Johnson was in Victoria last week at the Melbourne Writer's Festival and had the audience eating of his hand as he extolled the virtues of city living claiming that an Escape To The Country was "an incoherent human urge, deep in our psychic hard drive to idolise country living." I think that might mean he wants to give property developers a free hand in England's green pastures. Boris is Sydney this week. Batten down the hatches.
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Sunday Telegraph columnist Jonathan Moran isn't happy and has had a go at '“blow-in bloggers” who have not earned their position in the industry.'. Even though he's a "show biz" writer he's taken great umbrage to fashion bloggers getting front row seats at fashion shows.
Just 2 weeks ago a rival columnist wrote a riveting piece on who sat where at the Ground Hog Day called the DJ's Spring /Summer parade (same cast list, different seating) but Moran reckons bloggers " are at red carpet premieres, usually to get themselves a keepsake photograph with a big name celebrity.” Gee. It wasn't too long ago as a struggling intern Jonathon was spotted queuing up to get his snap taken with Jodie Foster.

"Just say No to Knitwear "

Pop critic for the UK Telegraph Neil McCormick got stuck into the British music bible NME's 2010 Cool List and exhorted readers to 'just say no to knitwear' , a reference to his horror that a 1980's jumper revival may be ready for a comeback. Feature writer Hannah Betts of The Guardian agreed calling these colourful creations from our own beloved fashion ikon Jenny Kee : nasty knitwear-more chunky than funky !. Betts was referring to Kee's famous Koala jumper as worn by the late Princess Diana in the 80s. Have they no shame?                                    
Our Jenny was inducted last night as the 6th Annual Australian Fashion Laureate as shown by our snap above where Jenny is pictured with Heidi Middleton of sass & bide, Nicholas Huxley head of the fashion design school TAFE NSW and Vogue heavyweight Nancy Pilcher.
Before you gaze upon the our snap below it's recommended sun glasses be donned : here's Jenny and a group of pals in 2012.

Royal Updates

Most Fascinating MBE Recipient of The Year :

April Ashley who was Britain's first transgender model received her MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Looking for all the world like a Dowager Duchess straight from the set of Downton Abbey, Ashley received the honour for her services to transgender equality.


Ashley married Lord Rowallan in 1970 but the potty peer was granted an annulment on the claim he didn't realise April was once a Liverpudlian sailor.

The Shuttle once accompanied Ms Ashley to a Berkley Square Ball where she kept the late Princess Margaret occupied in conversation whilst we assisted pop singer Marilyn over the fence.
Ashley says she had a string of Hollywood lovers including the late Michael Hutchence. On the night of the Berkley Ball she snared a handsome young city  type gent and had her way with him in the Shuttle's Fulham living room. As we escorted him to the door when he left to go to his city bank job in the morning he asked:"I know she's famous, what is her name again?"... " oh yes she was a James Bond girl,.just tell you pals at the bank you've been banging April Ashley all night" we replied.

Wackiest New Political Party

Proud Monarchist , the fragrant David Flint has announced the launch of a new political party CANdo to bring back capital punishment, a tougher line on refugees and all the other policies of the US Tea Party.
Confirmed bachelor Flint also wants a referendum on gay marriage and has voiced his support for wacko Senator Corey Bernardi who reckons legalising gay marriage may lead to bestiality and other such outrages.

Flint has been joined in his endevour by right wing mining magnate Hugh Morgan and our favourite shock jock Alan Jones who was recently ordered to apologise to the Muslim community on his radio program by ACMA which co-incidentally Flint was forced to resign from when he was head of the media watchdog and was discovered writing passionate  letters of support to Jones whilst he was being investigated by ACMA during the infamous Cash For Comments scandal.

""I've been called a perma-tanned Indonesian-born blow-in" says Flint of his critics. Indeed, the Shuttle well remembers a much younger Flint blowing into the infamous Paddington gay pub the Windsor Castle when he was just a mere lad.
Best Diplomatic Appointment

Bringing style back into diplomacy. It seems almost certain that Vogue supremo Anna Wintour will be appointed by Barack Obama as the American ambassador to the Court of St James.

Other famous Ambassadors to Britain include Australia's Sir Les Patterson !

Camilla Arrives

The future Queen of Australia, Camilla , Duchess of Cornwall has arrived for her first tour of the country.
She and hubby Charles attended an obligatory BBQ up north and tomorrow Camilla will attend the Melbourne Cup while Charles visits Sydney.

Are Charles & Camilla In Town?

The couple below were spotted at the Black & White Committee's Masquerade Ball held last Saturday night at the Art Gallery of NSW.


200 hundred guests perused the Galleries exhibition of Australian masters like Rupert Bunny, Russell Drysdale and George Lambert sipping cocktails before dinner in the main auditorium. Sponsored by Emirates, the funds raised go to Vision Australia's Children's Services.

 And as always, the Derby mock horse race where young girls reel in wooden horses was extremely popular with much hooting and shouting after the firing psitol was fired by Browyn Bishop MP who flew up from Canberra for the night.

Molly, Elton and Robert Hughes

EVERYONE loves Molly Meldrum.

 A year ago the most bumbling but lovable TV interviewer fell from a ladder while trying to hitch some Christmas fairly lights to a tree near the backyard pool in his Melbourne house. Molly banged his head on one of the repro Sphinx heads that adorn his Egyptian themed house and for a few months we all feared we may lose him.
In hospital doctors worried he may have suffered serious brain damage.

At times nurses had to lead Molly back to his bed when he was convinced the hospital hallways were a red carpet premier of a new film or rock event. Once they  nabbed him a nearby coffee shop where he had fled convinced he was being held prisoner and had begged the shop owner to call him a taxi. At times he looked perplexed when handed his trademark cowboy hat.

But Molly is back in form and the man who famously ummed and ahhed  his way through an interview with a bemused Prince Charles in 1979 (see below) has returned with a triumphant interview with his old pal Elton John who has slammed Madonna as as "like a fucking fairground stripper, a nightmare " and that "Her tour's been a disaster. And it couldn't happen to a bigger cunt"
 Several media outlets have proclaimed that Elton's outburst was meant to be off-camera and not part of the interview.
Oh yeah?. Our spy in the Molly camp says Elton said after his Madonna attack "and make sure you print that Molly."
                                                      


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Hughes with Danton

Art Critic Robert Hughes who passed away today at the age of 74 never fully recovered physically from a 1999 car accident in the Northern Territory


But it was the death of his son Danton Hughes in 2002 that really rocked Robert and and knocked the wind out of his sails.
Hughes confided to friends that he felt a total failure as a father after  Danton, who had been living with designer Jenny Kee, committed suicide in Kee's garage while she was visiting friends in Byron Bay.

 Although Hughes and Kee never spoke to each other while Danton was living with Jenny, they had one meeting after Danton's death and settled their differences.
Hughes would also say that if he had never met and married American artist Doris Downes that he believes he may well have joined Danton in suicide.

Fashion World Sees Sense

He has often been named as one of the world's best dressed men-HRH Prince Charles and the Shuttle fully agrees.

Having encountered Charles twice in an official capacity and accompanied him though two exhibitions, we always noted that Charles dress sense is impeccable.

Not a thing out of place, no shirt sleeve hem too long or too short, trousers cuffs (nicely  pressed) just resting at the top of a pair of spit polished British handmade brogues.
 Always a beautifully hand tailored Jermain Street shirt of a pleasing hue and a tie that doesn't match but complements.  Plus a jaunty pocket silk square shoved in that superb off hand way . probably by a valet whose sole job is to achieve that look.

And certainly no shiny ROLEX glittering with diamonds. Just the humblest Cartier Tank watch, gold case and black strap.
 And a simply gold engraved signet pinkie ring, which probably says 'all this is mine'.and perhaps a small lapel medal significant for the event, His jackets are handcrafted to follow the line of his body and they fit like a glove.

Now nobility from the fashion world has weighed into the debate on Charles's dress sense which many say is old fashioned or a royal embarrassment. Britain's Grand Dame of Fashion Dame Vivienne Westwood has announced that Charles is not only her hero, he is Britain's all time most elegant gentleman. You can read all this in the NEW STATESMEN out today.

Saucy Pics of Deborah Hutton

Womens Weekly has a nude photographic of TV personality Deborah Hutton on it's cover. Deb is looking pretty hot for someone who has just turned 50 (despite the claims the snap may have been airbrushed).

Hutton hasn't stop working since the 1980s when she was the cover girl for the Grace Bros emporiums (now Myer). At that time the speculation was that she was girlfriend of promoter Harry M.Miller. The two were often seen arm in  arm at social events.

But it was all a cover. Harry was Deb's manager for many years and steered her career from success to success. Deborah has never married and now shares an apartment with a gal pal Danni Roche. She's also become a property investor and has snapped up two flats that are being built in the old Harold Park site at Glebe.

Harry & Siimone

Sadly Harry M's health has been failing over the past two years since a stroke downed him and he spends more and more time in a Potts Point nursing home where other residents include former PM Gough Whitlam and TV star Jeannie Little.
Miller was the agent for the stars and once dated singer Shirley Bassey. His clients have included Lindey Chamberlain and Gae Waterhouse and in the 60s he brought some of the world's top acts to Australia including the Rolling Stones and Louis Armstrong.

In his 2009 autobiography he revealed how Prince Charles had confided over dinner that he always believed Australia would and should become a republic one day. Two or three times a week Harry lunches with long time partner Siimone Logue at her Potts Point restaurant. Sadly the two rarely make it to red carpet openings these days,