Sunday 20th May 2012

Reggie Cresswell, the internationally known Ghanaian ceramicist, deployed me at the National Portrait Gallery for the opening of ‘The Queen: Art and Image’, their Jubilee tribute to the Sacred Majesty of England. We met the Director. We met the Director. He’d met Her Majesty when he took the German photographer to Windsor. Everywhere I went last week, insider information whirled, even at Val’s little birthday party at Cafe Rouge, Strand-on-the-Green. Oh yes, the nightclub and Lady Annabel is to attend the opening. Val was a bit filthy actually and faintly fumy, despite only two weeks since his hip replacement. I think he’d taken port wine to the point of careering over into raging against  austerity measures. He’s wildly against. He wants spend, spend, spend.

Of course, the Euro was throbbing in the background, has been all week.

Reggie Cresswell thinks the same, as Val, I mean. I don’t, of course. I want all the money saved for the Rich. Which is ironic in view of what was to happen.

Yesterday Robert Nevil and I took the National Portrait Gallery, as ordinary members of the public unfort (RN is not on that committee yet,  he’s huge on committees but only the RA, RHS, LL, KY and M25, so far) for the Lucian Freud exhib. Completely thrilling but all was swept away by subsequent events. We lunched at Les Deux Salons, King William IV Street. Installed, Robert Nevil dropped it. ‘Miss Mina Shivaratnam,’ he said, (she of Bengal), ‘Miss Mina Shivaratnam, she was talking about you.’ I fire into life. To be talked about it! I’ve met Miss Mina quite a few times at functions.  ‘That Adrian Edge,’ (she’d said ). ‘Now clearly Joshua Baring’s  rolling in it  [you remember him? One of our youngest Poor Little Rich Gays], but that Adrian Edge, of course, he’s got no money at all.’

I could see it then and there. Instant devaluation. At least 80 per cent. Just like the Greeks if they leave the Euro.

No money at all! What about my face! My Goetz-Malin moisturiser at  £25 for 25 ml!   My fake tan! My hair, shampoo-ed by Bumble and Bumble! My niche perfumes! My clucks! My Topman get-ups!

No money at all!  Just a bag-person! A homeless!

And their hue better in summer from the outdoors.