Royalty comes to the City but did the Duke sit on the non-Royal privy?

We had a royal visitor in the City yesterday as the Duke of Edinburgh headed to Fishmongers’ Hall to congratulate the winner of the annual Race for Doggett’s Coat and Badge.

 

The race is thought to be the world’s longest running annual sporting event (next year it’ll celebrate 300 years) and sees six young apprentice watermen of the Thames race in rowing boats from London Bridge to Chelsea. The Duke followed the racers in a boat before coming back to meet the Lord Mayor and toast the winner, Henry McCarthy. 

 

Sponsor Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is working to stop untreated sewage pouring into the Thames, had its photo opportunity toilet with it (it encourages people to get a photo on the promotional loo). 

 

The Capitalist wondered if they were going to ask the Duke. “We’ll float the idea,” they said. Although we can’t confirm if they pooped… sorry, popped the question to His Highness or not. 

 

https://twitter.com/DoggettsRace/status/489019367838216192

 

■ SHUFFLE time in the cabinet is always a bit fuzzy for everyone involved. Who’s in? Who’s out? What kind of biscuits will the new secretary of defence like? Well, the shuffle has been even fuzzier this year, in the hirsute sense of the word. Stephen Crabb, the new Welsh secretary, has become the first bearded Tory cabinet minister for over 100 years. The beardies are celebrating: “The Beard Liberation Front (BLF), the informal network of beard wearers, has welcomed David Cameron’s decision to appoint Crabb,” wrote BLF’s head beard Keith Flett. “ Many will hope that it means the Prime Minister is at last coming to understand a ‘no cuts’ message.” Indeed, beards and success are not strangers. Look at Lloyd Blankfein at Goldman – he and his beard enjoyed announcing bumper results yesterday. Chuck out those razors folks, beards are coming. 

 

■ THE ARTIST-formerly-known-as Heron Tower will have its name set in stone later this week, as the City of London Corporation decides whether to allow plans to change the name to Salesforce Tower. But according to the bookies, it’s not looking good for those who oppose the new moniker. Ladbrokes has given a 1/50 chance the name change will go through. The bookies have thoughtfully put this into context for us – it offers the same odds for it snowing on Christmas Day in Lapland and the Tories winning Uxbridge – so they’re sure it’s happening. Looks like this artist-formerly-known-as won’t be “doing a Prince” and reverting back…