With the Queen’s birthday honours fast approaching, future awardees can take inspiration from Joan Collins on the suitable number of events required to celebrate one’s damehood.
Writing in this week’s issue of The Spectator, Collins reveals that she attended not one but seven events in total. However, things got off to a questionable start when her husband Percy forgot his photo ID, which was required to get past palace security for her investiture ceremony:
‘We averted a potential disaster when, at the gates, Percy confessed to having left his photo ID behind. ‘Will you vouch for this gentleman?’ the helmeted bobby inquired. ‘Well, I’m not sure if I’d go that far, but he is my husband,’ I joked. The policeman smiled politely, stared at me to make sure I was the real McCoy, and ushered our driver into the outer courtyard.’
Collins went on to toast her award at a variety of venues from Loulou’s to the Wolseley. Mr S understands that Tom Hollander even made the list, and joined her for a luncheon at the home of Ivan Massow, a London mayoral hopeful.
Earlier this year the Rev actor wrote in The Spectator of his moment of mortification with the Dynasty actress. Hollander had been invited to stay with her in St Tropez. However when she called him and left a voicemail confirming their dinner date, something ‘terrible’ happened:
‘She didn’t hang up. Nope. She didn’t press the red button. She kept speaking to whoever was in the car with her: ‘Urgh. I hope he doesn’t come. Really. I’m so tired. I invited him to stay weeks ago and he never got back and now apparently he’s having a much more glamorous time up the road. Lance says yesterday he called, in the middle of the night, and demanded that we kill the fatted calf for him! I mean honestly. Anyway darling, nearly home. Look, I bought this from Bulgari to cheer myself up…’.
Mr S is pleased that the pair have managed to put their awkward encounter behind them.
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