Londoner's Diary: The Crown slips up setting Eton’s Eden in Harrow

In today's Diary: The Crown 's Eden Eton mix-up / Nigel Farage gets on his knees / Freddie Fox pours the drinks / Georgia Toffolo's mystery MP / Jeremy Corbyn's latest Tory rival
Awkward quad: Pupils at Eton
11 December 2017

Has another front opened up in the old school rivalries of Eton and Harrow? The Crown launched Season 2 on Friday and the first episode includes a scene of Anthony Eden lecturing the boys at Eton. Except that’s not Eton. It’s Harrow.

Eden, prime minister during the 1956 Suez crisis and played in the Netflix series by Jeremy Northam, begins his speech with a bit of Harrow-bashing. “If Britain’s leaders aren’t coming from Eton where should they be coming from,” he intones to a hall full of boys in tails, the Eton uniform. “You see before yourself the 16th Etonian prime minister. Out of 40. Not a bad percentage. Harrow incidentally only accounts for seven.”

But, notes one old Harrovian, it may be they who have the last laugh as American audiences fall in love with this wood-panelled room.

“The auditorium used as the mock-up of Eton was The Speech Room at Harrow. Indeed the eagle-eyed might even spot that Jeremy Northam’s character delivers his speech actually in front of the crests of Harrow’s seven PMs, which are on the wall behind him, including that of Eden’s nemesis: Churchill. Some expect inter-school trolling.”

Eton, which now boasts 19 alumni PMs, does have a School Hall to rent out and yet wasn’t chosen.

Have the makers of The Crown, who have also been using Lancaster House as a stand-in for Buckingham Palace, been having a little joke?

The Londoner contacted them for comment, but they have yet to reply.

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Would another Old Etonian, Jacob Rees-Mogg, ever fancy a run for No 10? An acquaintance of The Londoner asked his wife, Helena de Chair. She replied with words to the effect of: “Are you joking? There wouldn’t be enough bedrooms for all the children.” They’ve just had Sixtus — who’s their sixth.

Farage remains a loyal royal supporter

Brexit basher and newly engaged Meghan Markle made her views on Britain exiting the EU clear last year: the future princess posted an image to her Instagram page of a placard that read “If EU leave me now you take away the biggest part of me” at a Brexit protest in London.

But former Ukip leader Nigel doesn’t bear any grudges. “I hate the establishment but not the royal family,” he says. “I would go down on my knees and bow to the royal family. I think what’s amazing is that the younger generation [including] my teenage kids think that royalty now is cool, it’s trendy and that is fantastic”.

But surely the royal family are at the very heart of British establishment? “No,” says Nigel. “They are not at the heart of it.” Hold the OBE.

Quote of the day

Small mercies: Donald Trump (Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bloomberg via Getty Images

"Aren't you glad I don't drink?" Addressing Republican grandees in the Senate, teetotaller Donald Trump says things could always be worse (he's more of a dozen Diet Cokes a day man)

Tables turn as actors play waiters at The Ivy

Freddie Fox pours the drinks at The Ivy (Photo Dave Benett/Getty Images) 
Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Ivy

The Ivy is known for being a haven for hungry celebrities, and last night it put them to work: stars including Freddie Fox, Jemma Redgrave and Noma Dumezweni became staff for the evening. But they haven’t fallen on bad times; they were taking part in One Night Only, a fundraiser for charity Acting For Others. Fox manned the bar — not a drop was spilled — Redgrave was a patient waitress and Dumezweni played maître d’ masterfully. For Jo Riding, currently playing a waitress in Romantics Anonymous, it was good practice, but for actress Celia Imrie it was a blast from the past. “I was a singing waitress once,” she recalled. “At the Shakespeare Tavern I used to slip my blouse down a little so that I’d get good tips.” She was more restrained last night, though.

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One question for Georgia Toffolo, winner of I’m a Celebrity. Who’s her mystery MP friend?

The Made in Chelsea star told a chum she’d been out partying with an MP pre-jungle. “She once brought a politician from the House of Commons on a night out, but I can’t tell you his name…” a friend told the Mirror. Was it Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham who posted a pic of her visiting him at the Commons? And did he vote for her?

Art for refugees’ sake

A Lot of Lip (2010) by Rankin (Photo Paddle8)

Struggling to find something special for the art lover in your life? You might be able to buy the perfect gift and help to change the world while you’re at it.

Last week saw the bidding open on a Paddle8 auction launched in partnership with Human Flow — the new film from the artist Ai Weiwei — and Camden art destination The Cob Gallery. Together they are running an auction of works from an impressive array of artists, with proceeds going to Help Refugees.

Art lovers can get their hands on pieces by Weiwei, top left, the Chapman Brothers, David Rankin, left, and Jason Shulman, among others. Going once...

Tweet of the day

Says Eurostar train manager Justin on Twitter. He's even put a hand-scrawled note on the door to tell passengers

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Theresa May’s former policy guru George Freeman is nominated for Parliamentary Beard of the Year, but history may not be on his side. Every year since 2011, bar 2013, the winner has been…. Jeremy Corbyn.

Giles's view of snowflakes thaws

Frosty reception:Giles Coren and friend (Photo @gilescoren)

Acerbic Times columnist Giles Coren has written countless articles lambasting the “snowflake generation” but now it seems the snowy weather has put things into perspective for him: “I’ve given in. I’ve learnt to love a snowflake.”

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