EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Why is Princess Anne furious with Rachel Reeves?

Rachel Reeves would do well to avoid Princess Anne the next time that they’re in the same room.

Anne is apparently not amused that her 730-acre Gatcombe Park estate falls foul of Labour’s new inheritance tax rules, while fellow farmers the King and William are exempt. They benefit from a John Major ruling introduced when the monarch first started paying tax.

Anne’s daughter Zara and her family still live at the Gloucestershire farm, a present from the late Queen. ‘I’ve got to make it work,’ she has explained. ‘This is not something that comes free, this has got to pay its way, otherwise I can’t stay here.’ If Ms Reeves has her way, will Zara have to pack her saddle?

Might Anne’s ire lead her to join her fellow horny-handed sons of toil in protests? Plans for farmers to clog up Westminster by bringing their tractors into town are already being mooted.

When Labour’s 2004 hunting ban was going through parliament, Charles allowed his staff a day off to attend the Countryside Alliance protest march which brought central London to a standstill.

Camilla was all for getting on her horse and joining them. Apparently the then Prince of Wales had a hard time persuading her not to – and a harder time after he finally got his way.

Victoria Beckham asked by Harper’s Bazaar for her view on Tom Bower, author of biography The House of Beckham – described as an ‘epic symphony of snide’ – replied: ‘Who’s that?’

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EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Why is Princess Anne furious with Rachel Reeves?
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00:59 GMT 07 Nov 2024, updated 01:15 GMT 07 Nov 2024
By EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Rachel Reeves would do well to avoid Princess Anne the next time that they’re in the same room.

Anne is apparently not amused that her 730-acre Gatcombe Park estate falls foul of Labour’s new inheritance tax rules, while fellow farmers the King and William are exempt. They benefit from a John Major ruling introduced when the monarch first started paying tax.

Anne’s daughter Zara and her family still live at the Gloucestershire farm, a present from the late Queen. ‘I’ve got to make it work,’ she has explained. ‘This is not something that comes free, this has got to pay its way, otherwise I can’t stay here.’ If Ms Reeves has her way, will Zara have to pack her saddle?

Rachel Reeves, poses with the red Budget Box ahead of the Budget on October 30
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Rachel Reeves, poses with the red Budget Box ahead of the Budget on October 30
Anne is apparently not amused that her 730-acre Gatcombe Park estate falls foul of Labour ‘s new inheritance tax rules
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8
View gallery
Anne is apparently not amused that her 730-acre Gatcombe Park estate falls foul of Labour ‘s new inheritance tax rules
Anne’s daughter Zara and her family still live at the Gloucestershire farm (pictured August 10)
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Anne’s daughter Zara and her family still live at the Gloucestershire farm (pictured August 10)
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Might Anne’s ire lead her to join her fellow horny-handed sons of toil in protests? Plans for farmers to clog up Westminster by bringing their tractors into town are already being mooted.

When Labour’s 2004 hunting ban was going through parliament, Charles allowed his staff a day off to attend the Countryside Alliance protest march which brought central London to a standstill.

Camilla was all for getting on her horse and joining them. Apparently the then Prince of Wales had a hard time persuading her not to – and a harder time after he finally got his way.

Victoria Beckham asked by Harper’s Bazaar for her view on Tom Bower, author of biography The House of Beckham – described as an ‘epic symphony of snide’ – replied: ‘Who’s that?’

Victoria and David Beckham attend the Vogue Fashion Fund Awards in New York, October 16
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Victoria and David Beckham attend the Vogue Fashion Fund Awards in New York, October 16

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Deep breaths at the Palace, now faced with the prospect of a second state banquet for Donald Trump. The late Queen, who’s said to have found Donald ‘very rude’, was reportedly less than keen on giving him the full works before accepting the inevitable.

Sat next to HM prior to the president’s 2019 visit, Upstairs Downstairs veteran Simon Williams recalls daring to ask the monarch about the forthcoming banquet plans. ‘She gave me a look worthy of Maggie Smith and said, ‘I think we’ll make do with tea’.’

Hard times for ex-Tory leadership contender and now prominent political podcaster Rory Stewart, after the Old Etonian took public aim at veteran political sage Andrew Neil on the eve of the US election.

Cocky Rory declared: ‘He is wrong. And Kamala Harris will win.’ As Trump raced ahead on the night, Andrew tweeted: ‘Evening Rory.’

Remarking on the ‘craziness’ of having six prime ministers in eight years, Rory Bremner notes: ‘If you go to hospital with a head injury, or dementia, what’s the first thing they ask you?

They say ‘Who is the Prime Minister?’ So no wonder the hospitals are full because people keep getting it wrong. ‘Ooh, is it Theresa May? I don’t know’.’