Childhood Clue Behind Kings Herculean Task Revealed

The intensity of childhood memories cannot be overestimated, especially in old age, and may explain one of the most unexpected developments of ’s reign – his decision, announced last October, to remove a magnificent statue of Hercules and Achelous from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

At the time, this caused bewilderment, even disbelief. After all, said critics, surely the King has more than enough treasures at his disposal?

But I can now disclose that, when the bronze is unveiled at , it will be reinstated in the fountain at the heart of the East Terrace Garden – exactly as it was, in fact, during the first nine years of the King’s life, during which he was invariably at Windsor at weekends.

The East Terrace Garden is, however, open to visitors only on certain days in the summer months. Kew Gardens is open all year round.

It was an enchanting time for the young Charles at Windsor, spent riding with his sister, , and enjoying summer barbecues on the terrace. Inside the castle, he was fascinated by the celebrated portrait of his forebear, Charles I, painted by Van Dyck.

But from 1957 onwards, that idyllic time there was curtailed. It was the year Charles was consigned to Cheam, his father’s old prep school in Hampshire – and, coincidentally, the year when, during a remodelling of the East Terrace Garden, the statue of Hercules and Achelous was wrenched from its plinth and disappeared from view.

The plan had been to site it in the Privy Garden at Hampton Court. But a shortage of funds meant that, instead, the statue – cast by Charles Crozatier and acquired by George IV in 1829 – disappeared.

It resurfaced six years later after Queen Elizabeth agreed to a request that it should be installed as a fountain centrepiece in the pond outside the Palm House at Kew.

The King is now spending more time at Windsor, holding investitures in the castle’s Grand Reception Room, as well as making his private rooms homelier by bringing in some of his favourite possessions from Highgrove.

The restoration of Hercules and Achelous to the East Terrace Garden does much to round things off.

Claudia’s girl has a head start with mum’s model looks 

Claudia Schiffer’s elder daughter, Clementine Vaughn, moved to New York to help forge a creative career. And it’s clear that she has what it takes to follow her mum into modelling.

The 21-year-old posted pictures online in which she looked remarkably similar to her German mother, pictured at the age of 23. Clementine’s father is Kingsman filmmaker Sir Matthew Vaughn.

Acknowledging her fortunate background, Clementine has said of her move to the Big Apple: ‘I’ve seen the end of success. I want to see the start of it – the hustle and bustle.’

Queen Camilla’s ex sallies forth again for Anne 

Queen Camilla is busier than ever at the age of 78 – and her ex-husband is working hard for the Royal Family, too.

I learn that Andrew Parker Bowles formally represented Princess Anne on Sunday at the thanksgiving service for Ian Balding, Queen Elizabeth II’s former race trainer, who died in January aged 87.

The service, which was held at Park House Stables in Kingsclere, Hampshire, was attended by friends and family including Ian’s daughter, Clare Balding, the BBC sports presenter. 

It’s the second time in two months that Brigadier Parker Bowles has represented his former girlfriend Anne, having previously attended Field Marshal Lord Guthrie’s memorial service at the Guards Chapel in her place.

James Norton is running his first London Marathon this month to raise money for diabetes charity Breakthrough T1D, but his training has proved hazardous.

The Happy Valley and Grantchester star, 40, who has type 1 diabetes and needs 15 daily insulin injections, keeps injuring himself. 

‘I had a couple of injuries early on,’ James admits. ‘I went out of the gate a little too fast in terms of the training. I pushed myself a bit too much.’

Georgina in the pink with baby 

West End star Georgina Castle is expecting her first child – and discovered its sex in suitably dramatic fashion.

The actress, 33, whose father is Wimbledon commentator Andrew Castle, said her mother, Sophia, should be told before her whether the child is a boy or girl. 

Georgina and her husband Simon Lipkin, also an actor, put on blindfolds while Sophia squirted pink paint on their hands, which they used to make prints. 

When they removed their blindfolds and saw the pink handprints, they knew they were expecting a daughter.

Lady Pamela Hicks, one of Queen Elizabeth’s two surviving bridesmaids, turned 97 on Sunday. And the daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma celebrated by finally using a wedding gift. 

Brought breakfast in bed by her daughter, India Hicks, a goddaughter of King Charles, Lady Pamela says: ‘At last, I am using napkins embroidered for my wedding.’ 

She and the late interior designer David Hicks were married in 1960.