Fashion designer Julien Macdonald wants to dress Kate Middleton

He lured Queen Camilla to her first-ever fashion show, and now designer Julien Macdonald wants to dress the Princess of Wales.

‘Kate’s amazing,’ he tells me. ‘I’d love to dress her in one of my dresses. I’ve got a great relationship with Camilla, the Queen. She’s incredible.’

Former Strictly contestant Macdonald, 53, who was once crowned British Fashion Designer of the Year, says the Queen sometimes asks him for style tips. 

‘She does every now and then,’ he says at a London party.

‘When I see her at different events, I always say, ‘You look really nice, Camilla’, and she’ll say, ‘Do you like it? Oh, I’m glad you approve’.’ 

There is, however, one prominent member of the Royal Family he does not want to be seen in his outfits.

Asked if he’d like to dress the Duchess of Sussex, he replies: ‘No, I prefer Kate and Camilla.’

Unemployed since being stripped of royal duties by his mother in 2022, Prince Andrew needs a job. Could this be it?

The King is advertising for someone to run the mini golf course at Sandringham, his private estate in Norfolk.

‘An 18-hole crazy golf course will pop up in the Parkland from July through to mid-September,’ says the ad. ‘Therefore a vacancy has arisen to assist in the management of the Golf Kiosk for our visitors.’

It could prove tempting for the golf-mad Duke of York. After all, he gave up his membership of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, was stripped of the title of honorary president of Inverness Golf Club, and his membership of the Royal Dornoch Golf Club was revoked.

Theresa May and David Owen attended, but there were remarkably few Labour MPs at Lord Field’s funeral at Sloane Square’s Holy Trinity church yesterday — perhaps because Frank, who left the party over its anti-Semitism, drafted the guest list. 

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting was there and so was Sir Stephen Timms. 

The church emptied to the strains of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, and the sight of a Westminster Lib Dem handing a leaflet to one of his prospective constituents. Politicians! 

Roger Daltrey is having second thoughts about stepping back from curating his Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. 

‘If they can’t find anyone for next year, I’ll do it. I just don’t want the responsibility of a five-year contract because I am aware I’m 80 years old, and [that’s around] the average lifespan,’ The Who singer says. 

After persuading the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Robert Plant to appear, Daltrey admits it’s become harder to arm-twist stars into playing: ‘I’d soon got through all the old farts I knew I could call up.’ 

Romance in full bloom for Talulah

She’s been married to — and divorced from — Tesla billionaire Elon Musk twice. Now, actress and novelist Talulah Riley is engaged to Thomas Brodie-Sangster, baby-faced star of Love Actually.

And St Trinian’s star Talulah, 38, showed their love was blooming at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where she joined the actor, 34, in The Newt’s hospitality suite.

The Hertfordshire-born actress — who, appropriately, wore a dress printed with roses, daffodils and bluebells — met Thomas on the set of Sex Pistols drama Pistol, in which she played designer Vivienne Westwood and he was music manager Malcolm McLaren.