My tribute to Alma in Saturday's @dailyexpress. John Lennon wept when she died, and "changed". Weeks later, he met Yoko Ono

Probably not

You're absolutely right, of course, Richard - like the Windsors they'll always be there gnawing away at the edge. I just feel they are borrowing from the Donald Trump playbook - maintain chaos at all times - and editors are putty in their hands

Whatever the Sussexes put out gets reported as fact, sometimes with little or no checks made before printing or broadcasting. That's a dangerous slip of standards unworthy of Fleet St and the UK broadcast media

Greatest respect, Richard, that's not enough. They've proved themselves utterly untrustworthy and the sooner MSM gives them a well-earned rest, the sooner the rocking boat will be stabilised

@RoyaNikkhah @thetimes The phrase should be defined. It means you represent the head of state. If you do not, and act as if you do, you are committing a fraud that endangers the reputation of Britain’s head of state and of our government abroad. Please do this @thetimes

BREAKING: Billionaire Sir Richard Branson unleashes a SCORCHING attack on Trump and his disgusting cozying up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

This is EXACTLY the kind of thing that gets under Trump's skin...

"I thought I’d never have to say this in my lifetime, but this is is what it used to be," Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, wrote on LinkedIn. "The Trump administration has become an appeaser to autocrats and dictators, putting their personal whims before the best interests of the American people and those of the free world. What is it about Putin that President Trump fawns over?"

"How will America’s allies ever be able to trust this administration again when they are now turning against them at a time of war and suffering?" he asked.

Trump has repeatedly betrayed our Ukrainian allies in recent days. First, he announced a stunning deal with Putin to allow millions of barrels of diesel into the global markets, a move that will directly pump money into the Russian war machine. Then, he began a concerted smear campaign against President Zelenskyy and said that Putin is easier to deal with.

The backstabbing escalated when Washington failed to provide its usual early warning to Kyiv of an incoming Russian ballistic missile attack. Now, it appears that the White House ordered a temporary disruption of Starshield, a military version of Elon Musk's Starlink that the Ukrainian armed forces rely upon.

"The slowdown of Starlink/Starshield and the inexplicable lack of advance warning of Russian missile launches have already caused Ukrainian civilians to die unnecessarily," wrote Branson. "How much worse can it get?"

"If one thing is clear it’s that European leaders must overcome the initial shock about Trump’s recent actions and step up to the plate. It’s as much about Europe’s freedom as it is about Ukraine’s sovereignty. Both are worth fighting for," he continued. "All options should be on the table now, from the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to the delivery of advanced weapons systems such as Germany’s Taurus."

"Why oh why is this happening? We cannot let the free world be dismantled before our very eyes," Branson concluded.

We couldn't agree more. Trump is an enemy to Ukraine, an enemy to democracy, and an enemy to the American people. When Democrats retake power, we have our work cut out for us. Every last trace of this monstrous man's legacy must be erased.

Please ❤️ and share if you think that Trump is Putin's puppet!

Do read, if you can find it, A Book Of Food by P Morton Shand [1927]. So incredibly sharp about English food, and occasionally hilarious. Author was the present queen's grandfather

Journalists at the BBC in need of a severe rap on the knuckles. There's nothing 'official' about the Sussex visit. Playing into their narrative diminishes the national broadcaster, worse it makes them look like numpties bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Everywhere I hear the sound
Of marching, charging feet, boy
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
For fighting in the street, boy

Furs

Oh yes

I'm awaiting a similar character endorsement from Andrina Colquhoun, the personal assistant Archer proposed marriage to while married to Mary - and dumped the moment he got the sniff of Tory high office.

This is 24 carat spin. The King's allowance made to AMW will go into his bank account regardless, he can spend it any way he likes. If BP spox had said 'by prior agreement it cannot not be used for legal, etc' that would be a different matter

A wonderful discovery, and still a largely unknown tale. My own contribution to the Archer legend was going to his childhood corner shop where they still called him Tuppence, as in his cry 'Anything for Tuppence?' His mum borrowed the name for her weekly col in a local rag

"Champagne for the brain" 🥳

"Read Swan Song closely, and it is not for his sister. It is an attempt to salve his sanity" - the magnificent @TanyaGold1 in eloquent form here
observer.co.uk/culture/books/…

Superb writing by @emmabrockes and no paywall. An absolute five-star must-read
theguardian.com/books/2026/sep…

If you can't bring yourself to read the entire 400 pages of Charles Spencer's 'Swan Song', this cool, unbiased, knowledgable and elegantly written review by @Johannatc in @thetimes brilliantly sums it all up. Without the flak

thetimes.com/culture/books/…

Distinguished performance by @hardmanr in understandably difficult circumstances. Chapeau!