Not to be outdone by the Brown government’s refusal to foot the bill for essential Palace maintenance, the Queen has used her personal funds to purchase a new aircraft for her own use and that of her Family.

Although a more Monarchy-friendly administration is due to take power in a year or so, many of us had hoped the Queen would become more proactive in her own interests. This is now beginning to take shape.

It’s also been announced that a new gym is being built in Buckingham Palace for the 450 staff who work there.

It will be fitted out with top-of-the-range equipment and a personal trainer. The facility will be situated in the Royal Mews and funded by the Royal Lifestyle Committee with generous help from HM herself.

A Royal source commented, “Research into the issue was conducted by the Lifestyle Committee recently and they discovered that all the top FTSE 100 companies provided gyms for their employees.”

The source added, “The Queen prides herself on being a top-class employer and with more than 450 staff on her books needs to offer them the kind of perks they would find at other large companies. The Queen is probably the best proponent of a healthy lifestyle you can find and she is confident that the gym will be well used — although probably not by herself.”

It’s good to see the Monarchy fashioning itself as a modern employer and adopting the best business practices.

The fact that taxpayer funds are not being used highlights the distressed state of the public finances.

Laugh of the day was when twelve barrels of lager containing 2000 pints of the amber fluid were mistakenly delivered to the Queen yesterday. They should have gone to a pub called the Windsor Castle.

Royal staff were baffled when the delivery turned up at the real Windsor Castle. Staff could find no record of the order.

Blushes were saved when a Royal protection officer twigged the problem and phoned the drinking establishment five miles away in Maidenhead.

Pub boss Misko Coric confirmed he was waiting for the beer to lubricate fans about to watch the England v. Croatia soccer match on the big screen TV. The supplies were more than three hours late and he was getting jumpy the pub would run out of beer.

The Landlord said, “[In the past} we have taken delivery of Windsor Castle headed notepaper and letters for Prince Charles — but this is the first time they had anything destined for us.”

A Royal spokesman said, “It was very funny. But there’s no way the Queen sits down in the evening with a pint.”

Where were William and Harry when they were needed?

Prince Harry grinned and cavorted before an audience of pupils and staff from Cathays High School in Cardiff yesterday. In return he was greeted more like a pop star than a member of the Royal Family.

Prince Harry nursing a baby in Wales

On a first day of engagements in Wales, Harry was there to learn about the school’s work with disadvantaged children in Africa by forging links with a school in the kingdom of Lesotho, home to Harry’s own charity, Sentebale.

At one point Harry held a small baby and joked, “It’s not mine!” He then paused in front of Matthew Taylor, a red-haired 12-year-old who said after meeting the Prince: “We all thought he was going to walk past but he actually took the time to stop and talk to us. He said to me ‘I’m ginger - gingers love gingers.’”

Harry will be joining members of his regiment, the Blues and Royals, in Lesotho later this summer to help build care facilities and repair infrastructure for projects supported by Sentebale.

The Prince certainly demonstrated his common touch among the people of Wales yesterday. As the second son, his gurning and comedy routines are a breath of fresh air. For Prince William, though, they would be a performance too far.

Updated 16.15 GMT : Contrary to earlier reports, Kate Middleton was at Prince William’s award ceremony at RAF Cranwell today. The BBC has some intimate footage of the golden couple walking along a corridor at the base. Kate looks stunning in her trademark white coat, and the pair seem every bit the fond, engaged twosome. The fact that they allowed such shots suggests their story is moving up a notch or two.

Prince William and Kate at RAF Cranwell

It was all over in an instant. Prince William walked up to the stage at RAF Cranwell and received his flying insignia from his father, the Prince of Wales — who himself had won it back in 1971.

After a four-month attachment with the RAF — normal officer-training takes four years — Flying Officer Wales gained his cherished Wings this morning. The training was to familiarize him with the ethos and methods of the flying service to prepare him for the role of Commander in Chief when he ascends the Throne as King. He also learned to fly fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

This wasn’t a Passing Out Parade as we saw at Sandhurst, more like a simple awards ceremony. A proud Kate Middleton watched with obvious delight from the floor, accompanied by William and Harry’s Private Secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and their aunt Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who must have been relieved to attend something other than Diana’s inquest.

Prince Charles also bewinged 20 other students at the ceremony.

The night before, a dinner was held at RAF Cranwell, attended by both Princes and the Duchess of Cornwall, to celebrate the achievements of the new young flying officers.