EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: A right royal time in Qatar 

Is Sophie Wessex one of the senior royals uneasy about the opprobrium heaped on David Beckham for his syrupy endorsement of World Cup venue Qatar? 

The countess has paid an official three-day visit to the country criticised for its blemished human rights record and outlawing of homosexuality. 

In May both the Queen and Charles granted separate private audiences to the Emir of Qatar. 

Prince Charles is alleged to have also accepted suitcases of cash for his charities from former PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, according to newspaper reports. 

And should Gareth Southgate’s squad make progress in the tournament, is FA president Prince William apprehensive about attending?

Does Meghan’s return to Instagram augur more friction with Buckingham Palace? When she and Harry exited the gilded cage they were told that they could no longer use their Sussex Royal brand. However, their Instagram account bearing that name, although not used since their exit, has never been deleted and still has 9.5million followers. Can Meghan resist firing up Sussex Royal again?

The Queen’s increasing frailty surely enhances the likelihood of the four Counsellors of State being utilised for constitutional duties. This raises the possibility of Prince Andrew being summoned from Royal Lodge exile to carry out some of his mother’s duties. Why hasn’t he been replaced by Princess Anne?

Marco Pierre White, pictured, irked Lenny Henry when he gate-crashed a romantic wedding anniversary meal the comedian was having with then-wife Dawn French to order their food and then sat with them chatting for the entire evening. 

Lenny suffered in silence. He now calls the disagreeable cook ‘rude’. Living on the edge Sir Lenny?

After Boris Johnson expresses sorrow at the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, Lib Dem peer Lord Rennard jumps in to note tartly that the late Soviet president (ie unlike Boris, in his view) ‘showed integrity – essential to good leadership’. Rennard’s own integrity is such that he served a seven-month suspension from his party after sex-pest allegations.

Former imbibers at the Hinchley Wood Hotel in Surrey still fondly remember the unexpected arrival for lunch of Mikhail and wife Raisa when he insisted on buying a round for the whole pub. What about erecting a plaque? Alas, the pub has since been pulled down and has been replaced by a care home.

Emily Maitlis’s podcast co-presenter Jon Sopel tweets: ‘Great to spend time with the genius actor Brian Cox. Emily and me a bit disappointed he didn’t summon his inner [Succession character] Logan Roy, and tell us to f*** off.’ A word in your shell-like Jon, Cox charges £586 to deliver his famous Logan insult to fans via video.