Saturday 14th June 2014

We know that Her Majesty is carrying out a heavy programme of engagements these few weeks at 88 years of age. For me, there was just one day to rest after Robert Nevil’s 60th birthday dinner before undertaking my programme for Wednesday 4th June: private breakfast at the Royal Academy courtesy of Aunt Lavinia to see the Summer Exhibition at 8.30. Lunch with a rellie at St John Bread and Wine before going on The Carmelites at the Garden (nuns in obscure religious crises but heads chopped off anyway). Thursday and Friday was the lead-up to my garden (actual garden as opposed to The Garden) opening but I was wrung out by the D-Day commemoration at the same time. On Thursday I attended Shirley Conrad’s launch of her Maths App in a garage in Park Lane. Saturday I dined with Prince Dmitri Hersov, Princess Irina Hersov, her new boyfriend and Sandy Carmen, whose paintings of women in their underwear often have to be removed from art galleries owing to outrage. She is looking for lesbians in mythology. Prince Dmitri played ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams on his room-sized ‘sound system’ and I liked it better than before. On Sunday was my garden opening. Lord Arrowby was almost unwell but struggled up and was a sensation. Not just one of the six who runs the country (when he travels it is usually in the Royal Train) but hot, in pork pie hat, very fitted blue shorts and not much else.

Really how Britain has changed.

175 members of the public visited my garden on Sunday afternoon. Monday and Tuesday were rest days, but I was beginning to worry about how I’m going to cover the Sales. Then I was asked to do a piece to camera on Camilla for Dainty Lady TV. On Wednesday Merle Barr took tea and in the middle of it, Royston King suddenly loomed. Not seen for years. He’d been lunching with Princess Anne in the City after a garden visit with the Lord Mayor of London to Epping Forest. He’s not giving millions to London heritage anymore but it is completely fingers in every pie and looking at his legacy as well as on other Boards of course. He will have a prize seat at the Trooping, as will Lord Arrowby. Together we went to the National Garden Schemes Garden Party at Broadwater Farm Tottenham. All the way on the 76 bus we regaled the bus with insider information about the Royal Family. Royston’s commentary, when he was Royal Correspondent of the BBC, is glued forever to the footage of Her Majesty returning to Buckingham Palace after the death of Diana – when she got out of her car before the gates.

Thursday I dined with Frankie-Doreen and Giles. Laura Malcolm and Matt Driver attended. Frankie-Doreen is not entirely loyal to the Throne but recommended a new homeware shop. Then yesterday, Royston said Why not drop in on the way back from Acton, where my Official Car had been serviced.  So I did and he produced a 3-course lunch. I went on to dinner with Hewn Hudson and Maximillian Reindorp at their palatial apartment (Gustavian crossed with Versailles crossed with Art Deco) in Bayswater where I picked over the Queen’s diamonds with the Head of Marketing for Clark’s Shoes The Americas. One of the other guests had had the Duchess of Cambridge in his antique shop. I was the only one with just one home. Hewn was wearing some superb blue linen slacks by Prada or Balenciaga from Zara.