The Duchess

RIP, Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, Duchess of Kent (22nd February 1933 – 4th September 2025)

The jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers

Aquamarine Tiara, Cartier London, c1937

We went along to the V&A yesterday, to see the much-anticipated Cartier exhibition. A sumptuous feast for the senses - this was definitively the biggest collection we have ever seen of some of the world's most valuable and sought-after jewellery, and we were in awe.

Just a few of the priceless pieces we saw:

Above, left to right: the Patiala Necklace, featuring the 234.65 carat yellow DeBeers diamond, commissioned by the Maharaja of Patiala in 1925 - the largest ever single order Cartier has received to date (about £2 billion/$2.5 billion in today's money); diamond and 143.13 carat emerald necklace, made in 1932 and formerly owned by Beatrice, Countess of Granard; Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson's famous flamingo brooch - apparently she had several of her own pieces unmounted so that the stones could be re-used in this clip; the 57.31 carat "Star of the Golconda” necklace, commissioned by the Maharaja of Nawanagar.

[left to right, above]: The Manchester Tiara, 1903, commissioned by Consuelo, Dowager Duchess of Manchester - she supplied over a thousand brilliant-cut diamonds and more than 400 rose-cut diamonds for its construction; Dame Elizabeth Taylor's ruby and diamond "Red Fire" necklace, a gift from husband Mike Todd; the 61.50 carat "Eye of the Tiger" diamond turban aigrette, commissioned by the Maharaja of Nawanagar; the platinum and diamond Oriental Tiara, 1911, worn by Queen Elizabeth II.

One of the most breath-taking items (among miles and miles of breathtaking moments!) was this - a snake necklace, ordered by the extravagant Mexican actress María Félix n 1968. From the Cartier Collection catalogue:

"The ingenuity of the design makes it a unique piece in the history of jewellery. Thousands of hours of work and great expertise were put into making this 57-centimetre long reptile, with an entirely articulated structure paved with 2,473 diamonds. A jewellery piece that has since become emblematic."

It certainly was that!

HM The Queen Elizabeth’s 23.6 carat Williamson pink diamond brooch. Princess Anne's Pineflower tiara. Grace Kelly's diamond engagement ring from Prince Rainier of Monaco. Gloria Swanson's Art Deco bangles, as worn in Sunset Boulevard. Egyptian sarcophagus vanity cases. The Countess of Essex's 1902 tiara and choker worn by Rihanna for her 2016 W magazine photo-shoot. Items owned and worn by Elton John and Freddie Mercury. A whole gallery of Cartier's iconic watches. Another of their famous "mystery clocks". A whole room of just tiaras. Case upon case of sparkles of every hue...

...the sheer number of exhibits on offer meant that we spent several very rewarding hours studying it all - and I'd gladly go again tomorrow!

Cartier at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is on until 16 November 2025.

Sometimes being clothed is more sexy

"There's a scary moment when you realise you're no longer the youngest person in the room. Especially if you've been a successful young person. That's followed, of course, by the realisation that you're actually the oldest person in the room."

"I still have a Gypsy sense of adventure. I don't think I have slept in the same bed for more than three or four months my whole life. I am always planting vegetables that I never get to eat and flowers that I never see flower. I have always moved around the world."

"Two phrases I hate in reference to female characters are 'strong' and 'feisty.' They really annoy me. It's the most condescending thing. You say that about a three-year-old. It infantilises women."

"Sometimes nudity is sexy. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes being clothed is more sexy than being nude."

"I was never that kind of star. I was never cast because I was gorgeous."

"The trick in life is learning how to deal with it."

The utterly magnificent Dame Helen Mirren is 80 years old!

All hail.

Many happy returns, Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov (aka Helen Mirren, born 26th July 1945)

You decide what's right, you decide what's good

Another sparkling diamond in the vocal world has "booped" her last "doop" and departed for Fabulon, to join the pantheon of jazz greats - Dame Cleo Laine!

Famed for her long, long professional as well as personal relationship with husband Johnny Dankworth as much as for her singing, together they carved out a niche for themselves in the oft-fractious world of post-war British jazz, she with her remarkable multi-octave voice and he with his musical talent and business savvy. She successfully straddled classical and pop cross-overs, as well as the scat-jazz vocalese for which she was famed, made numerous guest appearances on TV over the years [indeed, on hearing of her death today in the office I reminisced that she was probably the first prominent black person I remember seeing on telly apart from on children's programmes like Play School], became successful Stateside, and together in 1970 the couple founded the Stables Theatre at the back of their family home near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, which has helped develop the careers of many generations of performers.

By way of a fitting tribute - and a prime example of why we adored her so much - here is a selection of the divine Miss Laine's interpretations of the work of house fave Mr Stephen Sondheim:

Cleo Laine - No One Is Alone

Cleo Laine - Losing My Mind

Cleo Laine - Anyone Can Whistle

Cleo Laine - Everybody Says Don't

Cleo Laine - I Remember

Cleo Laine - Liaisons

Cleo Laine - Send In The Clowns

Cleo Laine - Not While I'm Around

RIP, Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth DBE (born Clementine Dinah Hitching, 28th October 1927 - 24th July 2025)

And finally... What on earth?

Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Diller and Cleo Laine playing cricket!

Always, always coiffed and dressed

[The late, much missed Miss Diahann Carroll would have been 90 years old this week. By way of a tribute, I'm reposting this from when she departed for Fabulon six years ago.]

"If you're not invited to the party, throw your own."

"For each and every performance, I was always on time, always prepared, and always, always coiffed and dressed."

“You cannot be a legitimate nightclub performer, as far as I’m concerned, in sensible shoes. To me, high heels have always been symbols of sensuality... I like the way I feel in them. And when you become a senior citizen, there’s great pleasure to be had in the fact that even when the tummy isn’t as taut as it used to be, the legs are still shapely and slender. They really are the last things to go, you know.”

"I like to think I opened doors for other women, although that wasn't my original intention."

"All I ever wanted to do was sing. What happened was more."

Diahann Carroll (born Carol Diahann Johnson, 17th July 1935 – 4th October 2019)

An inspiration.

'Twas the night before...

...Gay Xmas!

On the cusp of London's Gay Pride celebrations tomorrow, we have a visitor from across the channel to the Dolores Delargo Towers Museum of Camp...

Guilda - Quand on se Retrouve

Zut Alors!

A Manifesto

Great Things About Being A Gay Man

You are ALWAYS ready for your close-up.

You know, by heart, every line in:

All about Eve

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Your face

You understand the difference between 43 brands of imported vodka.

You can call anyone "Honey", including pets.

You understand the immense importance of good lighting.

You can be at a crowded disco the size of two football fields and still spot a toupee.

You can tell a woman you love her bathing suit, and mean her bathing suit.

You can explain the nuances between steady date, boyfriend and lover.

You really have "been there, done that".

Your women friends will tell you everything you want to know about their boyfriends. And that means everything.

You're the only type of male who gets to say "fabulous".

You can have naked pictures of men you don't know in your home.

You can have naked men you don't know in your home.

You know how to handle the telephone like a Stradivarius.

You understand why the good Lord invented spandex.

You understand why the good Lord didn't intend everyone to wear it.

You know how to get back at just about everyone.

You only wear polyester when you mean to.

You can smile to let someone know you can't stand them.

You can freeze a troll from 20 feet away.

You're good pals with women other people can't stand.

You've always got an opinion.

You've read the book, seen the movie, done the musical.

You know how to dress strategically.

Your car has an amusing female name.

You're the only one at your high school reunion who looks a lot better than you did in high school.

If your mattress could talk, it would be Joan Rivers.

You know that sex complicates things. So?

You know that being called a "cheap slut" isn't actually an insult.

There's a married guy somewhere who is terrified of you.

Nobody tells you what to do in bed...unless you tell them what to tell you.

You have a medicine chest stocked for any occasion.

You have at least one movie musical on video.

You're not embarrassed to sing in a piano bar.

You're embarrassed by people who sing in piano bars.

You never hold a grudge for longer than a decade or two.

You know how to make an entrance.

You know when to make an exit.

You worry about people you don't even know – like Liza Minnelli.

You choose the most fabulous greeting cards.

You've got sunscreen at every conceivable SPF level.

You have a cologne display worthy of Selfridges.

You understand, viscerally, Joan Crawford.

Some of your best friends are your ex-lovers.

You know when to play dumb.

You know what to do for a hangover.

Yes, you do have a condom.

You've called someone "girlfriend" who is neither a girl nor a friend.

One or more of the following apply to you:

You adore Judy Garland

You hate Judy Garland

You hate people who adore Judy Garland.

You hate people who hate Judy Garland.

You don't give a damn about Judy Garland.

Who is Judy Garland?

You can supply the last names to the following list:

Bernadette ___________

Chita ___________

Barbra ___________

You made Donna Summer a star.

You made Donna Summer a has-been.

Tanning salons were invented for you.

You've made sunbathing a performance art.

You know when the party's over.

You know where to go after the party's over.

You're fearless about fighting the elements, especially gravity.

When you hear "a stitch in time saves nine" you think of:

Your grandma

Your face lift

John Wayne Bobbit

You know that pigs and bears are not necessarily rural wildlife.

Your room-mate can be your room-mate and not your "room-mate".

You know that referring to someone as "a real lady" isn't necessarily a compliment.

Your favourite dinner accessory may also be your dinner companion.

You know that the most important part of a party's decor is the catering staff.

If your cat is a female, you swear it's a lesbian.

If your cat is a male, you swear it's a lesbian.

You sing along heartily with songs that make most females cringe, like "Stand By Your Man".

You'll never have to hear your mother complain about your wife.

A two-seater convertible seems perfectly practical to you.

You have a favourite Disney character and it's usually a nasty one.

You've left someone totally speechless.

You've shaved something other than your face.

All your friends do not have to "get along".

Your love handles are actually used as such.

When someone turns his back on you, you actually consider it an opportunity.

You've got a large assortment of movie-star biographies.

You've got the most interesting coffee table books.

You know where to find a meat rack and it ain't in your kitchen drawer.

You have a sexual persuasion with its own flag.

At some moment in your life you've envisioned having back-up girls.

You know your enemies.

After a workout at the gym, you feel like a new man. And he's right there in the shower.

You're Barbra Streisand's biggest fan.

You know that Barbra Streisand's biggest fan is Barbra Streisand.

Not only have you added spice to your life - sometimes you've added side dishes.

You know that "small talk" can be about spirituality or politics, and "important issues" can be about hair.

You've actually lived out some of your fantasies.

Unless most straight women, you have no problem being treated solely as a sex object.

You have no doubts about the accuracy of the Kinsey Report.

You have 412 ways to tell someone to get lost. 136 are non-verbal.

You can lip-sync to at least one Supremes song.

You know exactly how many Martinis it takes.

When throwing a party, you know how to put out quite a spread. Sometimes after the party too.

Pride in London is looming! I may need to put some of these "pledges" into action...