Monday August 17, 1981

 _. Up at 7. Sat dangling my legs out of bed whilst Ally tempted me downstairs rattling the pack of crunchy oat puffs. A sort of Pavlov and his dogs routine.

Sophie: low profile.

At the YP I sat with the nationals [newspapers] and the Sunday papers. 5,000 turned up at Balmoral yesterday to see the Prince and Princess of Wales go to church at Crathie. A distant cousin of the Queen, Prince Charles von Thurn und Taxis, is putting it about that the Queen should restore the Dukedoms of Cumberland and Albany, removed from the Roll by King George V in 1919. [They were on the wrong side in the Great War]. Another report in one of the Sunday [papers] discussed Prince Philip's sisters who, forty years after the Second World War, are still enforced to keep a 'low profile' when visiting the UK, and remain almost in obscurity. Philip's sister, Sophie of Hanover, stayed at Windsor for the Royal wedding, and was apparently seen waving at the Queen in St Paul's Cathedral.

Sarah is being driven insane by the behaviour of 'Mrs Slocombe'. The latter is constantly humming some indefinable and nameless tune as she swans around the office like Madame de Pompadour. Just a nasty habit, or a mental disorder?

Phoned Mum. Sue was violently sick this morning. And no letter from their solicitor. Gloom. She has, however, phoned Wallace Arnold today, and they have two spare seats on a coach tour to Yugoslavia. I do hope they go. She told me that Christine Airey is expecting a baby in February.

Phoned Ally from behind yesterday's Observer, but Derek Jenkins was 'playing up' and so she left in a hurry.

Home at 6 to a fish concoction preceded by a decidedly weak carrot soup. Dave Porritt came at 6:30 and collected the wedding video. He is always so nervous and hyperactive. He scurried around and fled to his car still quietly talking as his car sped out of Club Street.

Dave G phoned this evening. Jim is out of hospital and confined to his room at the Hollywood [Hotel]. Dave is relieved to have him home. It's all on for next Saturday.

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